Buried
by DuckiePray
Summary: Six months after "Manhunt", the turtles are targeted by a new nemesis. Will an injury sustained during capture prove to be life altering for the whole family? Raphael, I DO apologize in advance.
1. Haunted

*** Warning - this is a continuation directly from where another story left off. If you haven't read Manhunt, then some of the material in the following chapters could go right over your head, though I will do my best to catch everyone up as best as I can. I would still strongly urge you to read Manhunt first, as I feel it lays an important foundation in understanding what is happening _now_.**

**I do not own the TMNT, only a small collection of OC's which has been growing through the course of four stories that take place before this one. And Buried will be no exception. Thank you for reading, thank you for reviewing. Your input has more of an impact than you realize...I've changed_ important _aspects of story lines, for no other reason than someone elses' feedback. With no further adieu, let us proceed from where Manhunt left off, six months later.**

* * *

_The familiar musty smell was the first thing to hit his senses, to cause his body to physically recoil in anxiety. But he wasn't actually __able__ to move, much less __escape__ from the constrained position that the chains trapped him in. For a few moments, his breathing slackened, as he couldn't muster the energy to force air to travel through his lungs. Gasping severely, he mentally commanded his chest to rise, to obey his biding. For far too many seconds he could make no head way with it, and felt the sensation that he was beginning to really suffocate._

_He had no idea how long he'd been floundering that way, but he was relieved to feel strong arms on his shoulders, lifting, lessening the pressure that had burdened down his chest so hard to begin with. When he opened dark eyes, all sense of relief immediately fled from him. Vale._

_He flinched away from the finger that lightly caressed his jaw, but it only made the man's smile beam wider._

_"There's really no sense in resisting me you know." The human said, in his maddeningly cool rational fashion. "It's only a matter of time before I have what I want. If you'd only been a little cooperative, I wouldn't have had to break the __others__ so hard. But their blood is on __your__ hands._

_Always the 'responsible' one, carrying around the weight of supporting everyone else around you. But you __wouldn't__ save them, even though you could have. Yes, you very well could have."_

_The man paused in his discourse to fix him with one of those penetrating stares, that was so __like__ and __unlike __his Sensei's - which also had the power to always see right through him._

_"What a pathetic waste." The man sounded somewhat sympathetic. "So much strength, so much potential...paired with so much __fear__.Yes, you hide it well, __have__ hidden it well I should say. But __I__ see you. I know what lies in the depths of your soul, and it is the very reason that you will always __fail__."_

_The man punctuated the last word by ramming a familiar set of prongs into the side of his neck, his skin tingling at the contact point of his weapon._

_"Shall we begin again my friend?" Vale asked calmly. "I do grow somewhat weary of these games, but it seems to be the only way that I can force a response out of you, now that the others are gone."_

_He shut his eyes as if to block the man out, refusing to even acknowledge the human's presence for that moment. He was trying valiantly to stop muscles from involuntarily contracting in anticipation, before Vale had even activated the charge._

_"If that's the way you want to play, then you leave me no choice." The smooth cursed voice proclaimed._

_He opened his eyes again, just as the human depressed the button. The agonizing torture commenced, as if a lightning bolt was consuming him from the inside out. This was it. The callous man truly didn't intend to let go this time._

_

* * *

_

"Fearless."

Leonardo could hear the reassuring voice, he could even feel the light pressure of a hand squeezing his shoulder - but he couldn't stop shaking.

"Leo." Michelangelo said more firmly, gripping him a little harder at the same time.

Breathing hard, his body suddenly went slack under his brother's touch, even as he struggled to hold back a strangled gasp.

"Leo, _breathe_. Slow down, and just try to breathe normally, will ya?"

_The baby brother has to come comfort the "fearless leader"? What the shell kind of whacked out nut case have I become?_ Leonardo thought bitterly. _Am I actually __still__ afraid of a dead man?_

Trying to veil his intense embarrassment, he sat up slightly on the single bed.

"I'm sorry." Leonardo said quietly. "How loud _was_ I?"

"I was passing by from the bathroom, or I might not have heard you at all. Was it--"

"Of_ course _it was." Leonardo snapped, his irritation with himself making him sound harsher than he really wanted to be.

The turtle drew his knees up to his chest on the mattress, rocking slightly for a moment.

"You wanna talk Leo?"

"No, I wanna _sleep_."

"You weren't the only one down there, if you recall." Mike said softly.

"Do you actually think I could _forget_?"

"I'm just sayin'...you're not the only one who has to deal with this."

"But I seem to be the one who can't get past it." He said sharply, then meeting Mike's focused blue gaze for the first time. "I'm sorry, I'm just tired. Even from the grave, the man still has power over me."

"No he _doesn't_ Leo, that's the whole point. I'm not even sure _he's_ the one who's really bothering you."

"What are you talking about Mikey?"

"You're too hard on yourself Leo. If you'd ease up, just a little...it would do you a world of good. You don't expect any of us to be perfect, why do you insist on holding that standard over your own head?"

* * *

Raphael had been down working in the Lounge for the last hour, and still wasn't satisfied with how his acoustic sounded. The cooler temperatures always made it more difficult to hold a decent tune. He was going through the process of working on a string at a time once more, when his cell phone suddenly rang. He set his guitar aside, smiling when he noticed that it was Greg.

"_Hey _Heff. Isn't it past your bedtime?" He quipped when he picked it up.

"I don't _have _a bedtime Raph, and I'm on vacation anyway. It's one of the perks of my partner working security for the Summit in Washington."

"When are she and Vic getting back?"

"Not for another four days. What are you up to tonight, no patrol?"

"I'm just foolin' with my guitar, this seems to be the only time of day that I can actually get real privacy with it. Are you coming over for the game tomorrow?"

"I thought I'd come early, I was hoping we could work out first. Would you mind?"

"Heck no Greg, bring it_ on_. What are you doing with yourself _tonight_?"

"Nothin', I'm just sort of bored. I was kinda thinking about dropping in on you."

"I'll be calling you Luke _Junior_ next."

"Not even. I _do_ still have _some _boundaries."

"Geesh, with Kat out of town, Luke's probably bored stiff too."

"I'm pretty sure he's working tonight. I don't know why I even took this vacation, I'm sure they could have found _something _for me to back someone else up on."

"Everyone needs a break sometimes Heff, you're _supposed_ to be enjoying it. Go _out_, have a good time, see your friends."

"Raph, ya'll _are_ my friends."

* * *

Donatello felt Jenna's fingers lightly stroke his shoulder in the darkness, and he immediately turned in her direction.

"I _knew_ you weren't asleep." He murmured.

"Well, neither are _you_." She said a little pointedly.

"It's hard to _sleep_ with the most beautiful woman in the world next to you."

Jenna wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him in a soft lingering fashion, that had him immediately chasing her for more. He drew closer to her, cradling one hand under her chin as he met her lips a second time.

Jenna enjoyed the game of pulling away from him, forcing the turtle to actually pursue after her. She acted as if she was getting up from the bed entirely, laughing when the turtle caught her firmly around the waist.

"Where do you think _you're_ going? Get back here."

She pounced towards him, and he _allowed_ the lithe woman to pin him down against the mattress with a grin.

"Now you've caught me, what are you gonna do with me?" He asked impishly.

"Wouldn't _you _like to know?" She said demurely, her australian lilt adding another dimension of playfulness to her tone.

Jenna leaned over him so that her midnight hair tumbled richly over his face, and he was immersed in her familiar scent. She was kissing him eagerly again, and Donatello rose up slightly off the mattress to meet her, and then to hold her.

It was a _very_ good night.


	2. Patience

Issac Stolle had never_ looked _the part of a very intimidating individual. He actually preferred it that way _now_, though he couldn't claim that for his entire life. He used to believe that being underestimated was a negative thing - that was _before_ he'd met Vale. He'd spent a good amount of time and effort up to that point, merely trying to assert his own abilities and worth to everyone around him.

He was only a small-time thief when he'd first met Vale, and didn't quite understand the interest the man had taken in him at the time. Over the passage of months Vale had pushed him harder than anyone ever had, into perfecting technology and creating a safety net of security for the Morello crew. Deep down he always knew that Vale didn't actually care a wit about him _personally_- he only served a purpose for the man. That was alright with Stolle, emotional attachment would only serve to weigh him down unnecessarily. He was satisfied to let the man use him, and to glean whatever insight he could from him in the meantime.

He would never forget one of the first such conversations that he'd had with Vale, concerning his frustration with his own insignificance. Vale had calmly pointed out the _advantage _that it afforded Stolle over an enemy, and how it could serve him to more easily overcome them because of their low expectations. Since that time, Stolle had been happy to quietly dwell in the background working on his own projects, and keeping to his own observations.

Over the course of three years of watching Vale, he had learned the importance of paying attention to others around him, and some of the finer points in manipulating them, but_ still _didn't contain a real drive for power. Unlike Vale, Stolle wasn't concerned so much with the affairs of men, or controlling their actions. His main obsession centered on self preservation of his own way of life. The _threats_ were what motivated his technology, what pushed him to stay continually on his guard.

Stolle had learned a long time ago that it wasn't wise to share what knowledge of conspiracies he'd obtained over the years. People enjoyed living with their heads under the sand - well _he_ wasn't one of them. He refused to be caught unaware or _unprepared _when the true government crackdown began. The rumblings had been there for decades, like thunder as perceived from miles away. He knew that the storm was coming, and he'd almost reached the point where he didn't _care_ if anyone else believed him. They would see it with their own eyes, and suffer the consequences for not heeding the warnings. But he refused to be privy to that same fate.

Stolle had his own suspicions about Luke Barrows, from the instant that he'd found the homing beacon and panic button combination tied into his wrist watch over six months prior. Carrying a GPS chip inside of a cell phone was _one_ thing, but carrying technology of such sophistication inside of a watch was extremely unusual, and begged the question...Why?

It was the question he'd asked himself for days afterward, as he tried to connect the dots of what Luke could possibly be involved in. The arrival of two of the strange creatures only a couple of days behind them had rattled Stolle even more. He knew Vale had been very curious to find out how they'd been able to locate them, without the use of Luke's beacon. It was a matter that greatly concerned _Stolle_ as well.

But he was yet even more intrigued to get to the bottom of the _additional _creatures, who had successfully infiltrated his network only days later. Stolle had a very strong feeling that the one responsible for getting past his security, was the same creature who served as the source for_ Luke's _technology. He'd been blown away by the sophistication of the doctor's medical equipment, and not minded telling the man so.

Luke had been evasive with him when Stolle questioned him about the devices, only sharing the fact that he was not their creator. But that _creature_- the one who'd threatened him at the computer that terrible night, Stolle had never forgotten his words.

_"I don't like it when people screw with my technology..."_

The stranger had readily admitted to his own inventions, a fact that didn't surprise the man in the least. _Everyone_ likes their work to be appreciated after all.

Stolle had garnered a new found respect in the eyes of the men he'd "rescued", after the strange beasts had left all of them bound for the police to retrieve. He'd intentionally chosen to only bring a couple of them along with him, not intending to create a whole new "family", but rather an obscure team that was functioning with one certain goal in mind - retribution.

At least, that was the reason he let the other men _believe_. Oh, he would be _happy _to allow them to have their own form of vengeance upon the creatures that had wrecked their way of life, it was their right after all. But Stolle's own reasoning for hunting them down had far deeper reaching implications than simple _revenge_. In his heart he believed that they held the key to unlocking the next phase of government control.

This was an idea only further cemented in his mind, when his own study of Luke revealed the fact that the man was married to an FBI agent. Coincidence? Stolle didn't believe in them. He'd kept a firm eye on the man for months in secret, knowing full well that the doctor would serve as his connection back to the creatures again.

About two months ago, he'd had opportunity to plant the tiniest of his newest creations, a special form of monitoring devices inside of the doctor's home in Chelsea. Since then it had been a matter of listening, watching, and _waiting_. He could still recall the literal thrill of excitement that coursed through him, the first time that he'd captured a couple of the creatures on the monitoring feed from inside the house.

As tempted as he'd been to act sooner, he forced himself to be patient.

_Learn your enemy, lie in wait, and when the time is right, take advantage of their weakness...that's a page straight out of "Vale's Guide for Living"._

Stolle had actually started to _enjoy_ listening to Luke converse with them, but none more than the one he spoke with in the most technical of terms.

_Hm...Donatello. We would have much to discuss ourselves. We could be kindred spirits, you and I...much more so than you with that silly doctor. He doesn't begin to hold a candle to your true talents._

Stolle had experienced some difficulty in holding Williams back for the last few weeks. If he'd let the man have his own head, he probably would already have gone to Chelsea and killed Luke with his bare hands. But Stolle had other plans, and they all hinged upon keeping the doctor firmly in play.

None of the three men from Vale's original team were thrilled with the idea that Stolle had brought Bounty Hunters onboard, for the express purpose of bringing the creatures in_ for _them. But Stolle was not a fool; his surveillance over these last weeks had firmly convinced him that they could be very difficult to contain, and he still wanted to keep this matter as quiet as possible.

Professionals would provide some assurances, and even if they botched things up, Stolle could simply adjust accordingly, without ever being revealed himself. The Hunters had begun their own form of stake-out, listening in on the house using the same frequency that Stolle himself had installed.

They knew what they were supposed to wait for, and wouldn't get impatient like Stolle's men tended to.

_In a few day's time, it will all pay off. I have no doubt of that whatsoever._


	3. Sparring & Football

"Greg? Aw _shell _Heffernan, can you look at me?"

The man's eyes were open, but his gaze was clearly unfocused.

Raphael was on the mat beside him now, lightly patting his face. "Hey. Greg, do y' hear me?"

At once he blinked, and then turned toward him. "You _don't _mess around, do you?" He said somewhat breathlessly.

"You're the one who told me to quit goin' so easy on you. Are you _okay_, are you hurting anywhere?"

"I think I'm cool." He said rather dismissively, but couldn't help wincing when he sat up too fast.

"_Easy_ Greg. I'm sorry, I didn't _mean_ to floor ya. I honestly thought you were ready for that."

"So did I," The man murmured, as Raphael helped him up to lean against the wall. "I keep forgetting that you're so far out of my league."

"Doesn't have to be the case Heff, but you ought think about doing this 'hands on' stuff more with Leo. He's better at reading people, whereas I tend to lose myself, and the next thing you know, you're almost out for the count."

"If I'd _blocked_ it the way you showed me, it wouldn't have happened."

"Can you move everything alright?"

Greg craned his neck gingerly from side to side. "I'm fine. Can we _not_ make a big deal out of this?"

"When Doc gets a good look at you, that's gonna be darn near _impossible_. He'll probably threaten to cut off my shell, so Mike can cook it for dinner."

Greg grinned slightly at the turtle, as he slowly got to his feet. "I could make up some story about it on the fly."

"He already saw you earlier Heff, trust me, you _can't _pull one over on Doc."

There was a knock on the door, and Mike poked his head inside a couple of seconds later.

"Hey you two - you missed the kick-off. Are you coming out, or what?"

"We'll be there in a minute Mike." Raphael said quickly, releasing a small breath when his brother left without seeing anything. "C'mon Greg. If we get ice on it right away, it probably won't be as bad. Are you dizzy at all?"

"I'm _fine_." He emphasized. "Let's hurry up before half the_ food _is gone."

* * *

They left the practice room, and made for the kitchen. Fortunately Mike had already moved nearly everything food wise to the living area for easier access, and the others were already engrossed in the current offensive drive down the football field.

"Sit down Greg - do you want something to drink?"

"Sure, as long you're not_ making _it." Greg cracked.

"What's _that_ 'spose to mean?"

"I've just heard that you can be a little dangerous in the mixing department."

"That's only for _special _occasions Heff. Seriously, what'll you have?"

"Just water. Working out with_ you _is a trip and a half. I can't believe I used to think I was in such great shape." He said, groaning slightly as he pressed an icepack to his right temple.

"You're just not used to a _real _challenge Greg." Raph said, and then shook his head at him. "Sure you're okay?"

"Would you lay off y' big softy?" Greg laughed, then shifted slightly in his chair when he felt an animal weave in between his legs.

The orange striped cat hardly greeted him, before stretching her back in a long arc, and leaping over to Raphael.

"Hey Mighty Hunter." He greeted the creature fondly as she jumped onto the counter. "You hungry Tiger? I don't suppose anyone fed you, they're too busy with that silly game on, huh?"

"I'll never understand your love affair with that cat Raph. You don't even seem to _like_ animals."

"I don't." He answered shortly. "I like _her_. We have an understanding."

"Mike says it's 'cause you saved her life."

"He doesn't know _anything_." Raphael scoffed as he opened a can of food, and then set the cat down on the kitchen floor so she could eat. "How's life been anyway - what life you _have_ outside work and comin' down here?"

"I keep myself plenty busy on the surface Raph."

"Really Mr. Player? When was the last time you went out with a woman?"

"It hasn't been _that _long Raph."

"Don't fall into this trap Greg." The turtle said, suddenly very serious.

"What trap?"

"It's the same thing that happens with _all _of our human friends. The deeper you go in with us, the more you'll start to leave the rest of the real world behind."

"What do you call _this_, some kind of alternate reality? You and your brothers are just as real as everything up there." Greg responded.

As the words were leaving his mouth, Donnie and Jenna walked into the kitchen together.

"Are you guys being anti-social, or are you actually not hungry?" Donatello asked with a wry smile.

"We're talking." Greg said innocently.

"Hold up, what did you do?" Jenna said immediately when she saw the icepack he was holding.

"_Yeah_ Greg, what's this about?" Donatello chimed in, dropping to the kitchen floor to be closer to his level. "Let me see that."

When he laid eyes on the darkening bruise, the turtle started slightly. "Greg, when did you do this?"

"I've had it for awhile." He said lightly.

"I think I would have _noticed _if you'd walked in the door with it. Weren't you and Raph _working out _a few minutes ago?"

"_Yes_, I did, okay? It was an accident." Raphael quickly admitted.

"_Raph_..." Donatello said with serious irritation.

"Do you need me to step in for you Greg? _I_ can handle Raphael." Jenna couldn't help smiling.

"Ease up okay? It was my own fault." The man protested. "I bobbed when I was supposed to weave."

"Don't talk like that Heff, I'm the one who clobbered ya." Raphael cut in.

"Greg, just hang tight here for a second, and let me get a closer look." Donnie urged the man.

"Is this _really _necessary?"

"Do you want me to call Luke? I guarantee he'll make a bigger deal out of it than I will."

"Geesh, is there anyway to keep it under wraps entirely?" Greg asked cheekily.

"Not likely, but at least this way we can tell 'im I already took care of it. Open your eyes further for me, will you?"

Donatello shone his penlight into the man's hazel eyes, studying his pupils for a moment.

"You didn't lose consciousness, right?"

"No, but he wasn't quite there for a few seconds." Raphael answered for him.

"Experiencing any dizziness or nausea?" Donatello asked.

"No, I was just dizzy right after it happened."

Donatello got to his feet a couple seconds later. "You don't look like you have a concussion Heff. Keep the ice on it, and take it easy just in case, alright?"

"Greg, if you need a few pointers on Raph, you know where to find me." Jenna teased him a little mercilessly.

He was somewhat less than amused. "I _don't _need your help Jen. When's the last time you went one on one with Raphael _anyway_?"

Jenna traded a smile with Donatello. "About six months ago, you remember, don't you Raph?"

"Seems I recall _somebody_ wouldn't answer their cell phone." The turtle said a little darkly.

* * *

All four of them ventured into the living area, just as Ohio State was scoring another touchdown.

"_Yes_, what did I tell you?" Jenna exclaimed in response to a couple of groans. "Two touchdowns, and we're only halfway through the first quarter!"

"You're not even _from_ America." Luke complained. "What's your obsession with Ohio State all of a sudden?"

"My father was a rabid fan." She said matter of a factly. "_Someone _has to carry on the tradition in his absence."

"It doesn't look like the Tarheels have put up any points yet Doc." Raphael couldn't help pointing up.

"_Shut up_." He said grumpily.

"We don't have anything important riding on this game, do we?" Marcus asked from the couch.

"Just what's_ left _of my southern pride." Luke grumbled.

"I would have thought you lost the rest of_ that _a long time ago." April quipped.

"Not quite, but I'm sure it's on the way out." Luke replied, as he rose from the chair a little stiffly. "I don't know if I can watch this _or_ listen to it." He finished, with a pointed glance in Jenna's direction.

"I can't help it if the Buckeyes know how to bring it Luke." She said sweetly.

"And I'm sure the sea of crazed OSU fans in the stadium does _nothing_ to help their cause." He griped.

"I _also_ can't help that it's a home game."

Luke would have said something else, but he'd just noticed that Greg was hanging back in the doorway of the kitchen.

"What's with the icepack Greg?"

"Just watch your football game." The man said with a grin.

"What do you have _under_ that?"

"Oh look! North Carolina is running the ball!" Greg said, excitedly pointing at the screen.

"Actually, he just got _sacked _Heff." Leonardo pointed out.

"Not_ helping _Leo!"


	4. Watched

Luke hated going home to an empty house - but he also hated letting the guys worry about him more than they already did. He'd stayed underground with them as late into the evening as he comfortably could, before leaving to go home to Chelsea. They'd offered for him to stay over several times on nights like this when Katherine was out of town, but he'd gotten to the point where he didn't like taking them up on it. Accepting the invitation would have indicated that he _still_ wasn't comfortable in his own skin, and given his friends further ammunition to be concerned.

Luke abhorred the shaky feeling that approaching the darkened Brownstone produced inside of his chest. Was there _ever _a time when he'd been truly independent? He'd been partnered with his parents in their work, well into his twenties. The only time he'd ever been completely on his own was when they'd suddenly been killed in a plane crash.

The devastating turn had _almost _destroyed him entirely, and probably would have if it weren't for a certain _red-head _befriending him, after a twist of fate brought him to the same floor of her apartment building. Since the time he'd met April, followed by the turtles a few months later, Luke's life had never been the same. But the last few months since his kidnapping in the Spring had left him feeling unusually jumpy and suddenly paranoid. Aside from losing his parents, being taken that way was the only time in his life when he'd felt _truly_ alone.

As he came up the back walk way, he froze in his step for an instant. The lights from the motion sensor had turned on, but there was still sort of an unsettled feeling in his gut, even hesitating here now. Luke looked around slowly, not certain what he _expected _to see. He turned to glance over his shoulder back at the garage, where the automatic lights had already turned off seconds prior.

The building was cast in darkness now, but he_ thought _he saw the outline of some figure in the shadows. When he blinked, the form wasn't there.

_Pull yourself __together__ Barrows. Eyes are playing tricks on you._

With a shaky breath he started walking again, climbing the stairs to the back porch. Once inside he hurried to shut off the alarm, and then switched it to the "Stay" feature. As hard as he tried to assure himself that it had been nothing, he hadn't managed to slow down his heart-rate from the shadow he'd imagined outside.

Luke glanced at a clock, loudly proclaiming that it was after 2 in the morning. He was wide awake now, there was no chance of him sleeping any time soon. He grabbed a bottle of sweet tea out of the fridge and trotted upstairs to his and Kat's favorite sitting room. He usually felt more comfortable in this room than anywhere else in the house, but tonight it only served to remind him of how anxious he felt without her here.

He glanced down at his cell-phone, trying to squelch the immediate impulse to call her, but he couldn't do it. He hit her speed-dial, even as he felt like a complete idiot. The woman answered a little groggily on the third ring.

"Hey Kat, it's me." He breathed. "I'm sorry it's so late."

"Just a second Luke," She said softly, as she shifted to the bathroom so that her talking wouldn't wake up Victoria. "Hon, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Physically, _sure_. Other than that, who can say?" He said a little frustrated.

"Are you not sleeping?"

"Not more than three or four hours a night since you've been gone. Kat, is this _ever_ going to get easier?"

"Luke, it's only been a few months. When someone goes through trauma like you did, it takes _time _to heal, to get over it."

"I don't feel like I'm even _starting _to. These last couple of weeks...Geez, I don't know what it_ is _Kat. I'm just so unsettled in my mind, like something isn't right. Tonight, I could have _sworn_ that I saw someone outside our garage. Then I blink, and they're gone. I've never been one to hallucinate, not even in my worst moments."

"Luke, it's natural for you to be experiencing some...paranoia, after being kidnapped the way you were." She said gently.

"I feel like I'm losing my darn _mind_ Kat, or I'm about to at the very least."

"I wish you would talk to that counselor about this Luke."

"I thought that we agreed I shouldn't be _telling_ anyone I had to shoot Vale."

"Does that _have_ to come up?"

He was silent on his end for a very long moment. "I'm just not feeling like myself here. I should be grateful to be _alive_, and I _am._ But I'm worn out too. I'm so tired of looking over my shoulder, imagining things that aren't even there, and seeing that _stupid_ man's face every time I close my eyes. How am I supposed to get free of him, once and for all?"

"It's not gonna happen quickly Luke, but I'll make a promise to you. I'm going to be by your side every step of the way, no matter what that means. I can take a leave of absence from work, I wish you would have let me do that before."

"I don't want life to grind to a halt Kat."

"It's not going to. I think it's time to focus on what's really important, that's all. We could get away for some real rest. I'm _sorry_ I'm not there Luke."

"I _told_ you to go Kat - Victoria's in better hands with you than anyone else."

"I know you did, but I haven't been as sensitive to everything you're going through as I could have been."

"I've been trying to work through it in my own mind, it's just gotten _harder_ for some reason. The guys know I don't want to come home, but giving in to staying underground would be like _admitting_ what a wreck I've become." Luke released a somewhat shaky sigh. "Anyway. I'm going to hunker down here, try to get some real sleep. I'm sorry to bother you with my idiocies."

"_You're_ no idiot Luke - but I feel like one for leaving you."

"Stop Kat, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. But I _do_ enjoy the thought of you making it up to me when you come home." He said a little impishly.

"_There's_ the man I married. I'll be home by 7pm Wednesday, that's when our flight is getting in. Don't forget my sister's plane gets in on _Tuesday _morning."

"Yeah, Karina _is_ going to beat you here, isn't she?"

"You're alright to pick her up from JFK?"

"Of course Kat, I'm sure I can entertain your sister for a day without you. Did she ever mention why she was coming?"

"No, she was vague on details. She just said she had 'business' bringing her to New York, and hoped she could spend some time with us while she was here."

"I've got a room set up for her, and I'll make sure that I warn the guys to stay clear. It's not like they come up here all the time anyway, but they've been known to find their way to Chelsea on occasion."

* * *

Donatello had been extremely quiet since Luke had left, not saying a single word as he helped Raphael with dishes. After about fifteen minutes of it, Raph finally cast him a sidelong glance.

"Genius, what's wrong?"

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, as he ran a bowl underwater, and then turned to look at Raphael.

"I'm worried about Luke." He answered quietly. "More than before, for some reason. He hasn't _said _anything, but he's really disturbed...I can tell. I wish he didn't have to be so dagone stubborn sometimes. It's _us_ for cryin' out loud."

"Doc thinks _he's_ the only one allowed to worry about anyone Don. I could see it too tonight...he really didn't wanna leave. And he's not the _only _one. Leo hasn't been sleeping well either. I've heard him a few times, he just doesn't wanna talk about any of it." Raphael looked down at the floor for a few seconds, clenching a dishtowel in his fist in frustration. "What can we do Donnie? How do we help them get through this?"

"I don't know Raph. I suppose we just stay available to them. I wish it wasn't so hard for them to talk about, but it's a helpless feeling not even knowing what the right thing to say _would_ be."

"They'll come around Genius, I'm sure of it." Raphael said with sudden confidence. "It won't be sunshine and rainbows for awhile, but I _know_ they'll get through it. There's no_ way _some mad man like Vale is gonna do them in."

"I'm sure you're right." Donatello said. He looked as if he might say something else, then glanced back at the sink.

"What Donnie? What were you gonna say?"

"Nothing. I just had a really good time tonight, felt like it normally did." Donatello mused, and then shot him another look. "What's the deal with you punching your buddy?"

"I didn't do it on_ purpose_, he was 'spose to be blocking it Donnie. He kept pushing me to go at him for _real_. We ran through the maneuver a few times, I made sure he understood exactly how I was gonna approach him, and the correct way to get out of it. Then we went to actually _do_ it, and it was like everything I told him went straight out of his head. I couldn't pull it back fast enough."

Donatello shook his head with a slight smile. "Still don't know your own strength Raph?"

"I know it, I just can't always_ control _it." Raphael answered, as he finished putting a few cups away, and then reached down to scoop up Tiger off the floor. "I'm beat Genius. I'm gonna take my girl upstairs, why don't you go catch up with _yours_?" He said with a slightly teasing tone.


	5. Diverted

*** Alright, that's enough catching up, wouldn't you say? Time to get down to business. Ready or not, here we go.**

* * *

_Two Nights Later_

Raphael came down the stairs in his heavier coat, carrying his helmet in one hand.

"Hey Fearless, I'm _out_, okay? Heading over to see Heff, he's been bugging me to come by."

Only three months after meeting them, Greg had moved out of the condo he'd spent the last few years in, citing that he was no longer comfortable being surrounded by so many FBI agents in the same building. When a vacancy had turned up in April's building, he'd literally jumped at the chance. The apartment wasn't as nice as his condo had been, but that seemed nowhere near as important now as it had a few months prior. The turtles had a lot of experience getting in and out of the complex that April and Luke had _both_ once lived in, and he was happy to be there.

Leonardo glanced up from his book to give Raphael a once over. "Taking your bike?"

"Yup, but I'll be disguised Leo. Don't worry about it or nothin'."

"Just _watch_ your shell, okay?"

"I will - not sure how late I'll be, but I'll be back before the sun comes up." Raphael told him, and then hesitated for another beat in the doorway. "I don't _have_ to go Fearless. Are you doing okay here?"

"Raph, I'm alright." He said evenly. "I'll probably go to bed in another hour or so, there's no reason to stick around here, not for my sake."

"Y'know I'm here if you need me Leo."

"Yeah Raph, I know. I told you, I'm fine...just getting tired. Call me if something changes, will you?"

"I'll keep you caught up. Guess I'll get going then."

* * *

While Raphael was heading for the surface, Greg was milling around his apartment a little aimlessly.

_I've gotta get back to work man. I feel like I'm going stir-crazy up in this joint. That's the last time I let you go on a Security detail on your own James._

Greg paused for a moment near the bathroom, checking out the bruise on his temple again. It wasn't as dark today, and it honestly wasn't bothering him, with the exception of the teasing from _Jenna_ that came along with it. It almost felt like a badge of honor.

"More like a badge of _stupidity_." He muttered aloud under his breath, running a hand through slightly spikey sandy blond hair.

He heard his ring tone coming from the living room, and hightailed it out of the bathroom to answer it.

"James! What's up, do you miss me already?"

"How could I _miss_ your ugly mug? I've been gone less than a week Greg." Katherine teased him back. "Are you staying out of trouble?"

"I have so far, but Raph is coming over in a little while, so no promises."

"You two have hit it off really well, huh?"

"We just sorta_ fit _James. How's the Summit, is it as boring as it sounds?"

"For the most part, but I did get to take down a purse snatcher when we were out to dinner tonight. It's been the highlight of the trip." Kat laughed, but then sighed a little anxiously. "Have you spent much time with Luke?"

"He's struggling, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he called me really late the other night. I think we need to get out of the city for awhile."

"Heaven knows you've _got _the vacation time James." Greg said, and started slightly when there was a knock at his front door. "Uh...I better go. Someone's at my door, and something tells me it ain't Raph."

"I'll talk to you later Greg."

"Night James."

Greg hung up the cell, and went to answer the door. He was somewhat shocked to see the familiar brunette on the other side.

"Elina?"

"Nice to see you haven't forgotten me _entirely_ Greg. Are you going to invite me in?"

"Uh...I...uh..."

"You're not already _entertaining_, are you?"

"No, I'm alone, but--"

"Good. You're a hard one to catch up with, you know that?" She said playfully, brushing past him into the apartment. "When were you planning on telling me that you moved?"

"Elina, I haven't seen or heard from you in eight months."

"Right, we have some catching up to do." She said with a coy smile, as he backed away from her toward the bathroom.

"Yeah, I guess so..."

"Greg, why are you so nervous? I'd _think _you weren't happy to see me. Do you not like surprises? They can be pretty fun y'know."

"Um, no...it's...give me a second, will you?" He stammered slightly, and shut himself into the bathroom.

Swiftly he dug out his cell-phone, and lowered his voice as he called Raphael.

* * *

The turtle pulled over into an alley when he felt the phone vibrate, and yanked off his helmet.

"Hey Heff, I'm gettin' close."

"Raph, I'm gonna need some more time. You've got to be me a chance to get rid of someone."

"You have a visitor?"

"Some chick I went out with a couple of times, _months_ ago. I don't know how she found me, she just showed up!"

"Pretty?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You had fun with her before, right? Why do you wanna get rid of her?"

"_We_ were gonna hang out."

"Don't be ridiculous Heff, I can see you tomorrow. Please go enjoy your _life_."

"Raph--"

"I ain't coming now Greg, so you may as well not bother kicking her out." Raphael teased. "Lemme know how it goes, and you have a good night."

He hung up with Greg a few second later, shaking his head.

_That's just what he needs I think. I 'spose I'll just head back._

As he started to put his helmet back on, he heard footsteps, and quickly darted back further into the shadows, stowing himself and his bike behind a dumpster.

"C'mon kid, don't waste our time - just cough it up!"

Raphael heard the harsh voice, and peeked barely over the edge of the dumpster to see five young men threatening a sixth teenager against the brick building.

"I told ya, I don't have any!" The kid wavered back.

"If you're gonna wander our streets, you have to pay the toll. If you don't have the cash, I guess we'll have to take it out of your sorry hide." The same one said threateningly.

"You _do_ realize that cost of living increases don't include thugs." Raphael said crossly, effectively startling all six of them at once.

"You wanna piece of this action man?" One of the teens smirked, drawing a knife from his side.

_I'm __real__ scared here punk_.

Raphael didn't wait for them to make the first move, he simply lowered his shoulder and bowled straight through the semi-circle to get to the kid they were threatening.

"Run, get going!" He told him firmly, and then turned back to face the others.

Raphael rolled his eyes slightly as two of them tried to rush him at once, and caught a hold of each of them by the back of scrawny necks.

"You _really_ don't wanna mess with me kiddies. Now is a good time to walk away."

They struggled in his grip, and he hurled both of them backwards. A knife flashed towards him, and he caught the offending wrist as it swung in a wide arc.

"_Last _chance." Raphael warned sharply, as he wrenched the blade out of the boy's hand.

The kid reared back his fist to try and hit him, and the turtle caught it easily. "Why do you boneheads have to do everything the hard way?"

The other teenagers pressed forward, and he was forced to start dealing with them a little more firmly. Two of them went flying under the lash of his backhand, and a third crumpled under a solid kick to the chin. When he looked around for the other two, he was surprised to see them _back_ on the kid they'd caught to begin with.

With another roll of the eyes, he darted toward them, barely making it in between them before another knife blade was flying at him. He turned at the last second so that it buried in his right shoulder instead of his neck, snarling angrily when the kid yanked it back out.

_Alright, I'm done playin'!_

Without bothering to look over his shoulder, he called back to the kid that was _still_ cowering on the ground.

"What part of 'run' don't you understand? Get the heck outta here!" He growled.

Raphael immediately took down the knife wielder with a violent thrust to the jaw, turning to grin widely at the last one who was faltering backwards. He bore down further on him, and the teenager started trembling harder.

"_Boo_."

The punk stumbled backwards so fast that he actually hit the ground, and then scrambled over his knees, struggling to get his legs underneath him again. He ran, and Raphael waved him off, only then wincing at the pain in his shoulder. He glanced down to see that it was bleeding a little heavily.

"_Darn it_!" He muttered to himself, as he walked back to his motorcycle. He dug into his bag on the side until he found the spare cloak, and immediately cut a strip off the bottom of it with his sai. He tied it off over the knife wound as tightly as he could manage, and then sighed.

_I'm gonna have to deal with this, but I hate to bug Donnie when he's already gone to bed with Jen._

He glanced at his watch.

_It's early yet, I bet Doc is still awake. I'll see if I can crash._

He flipped open his cell, and hit Luke's speed-dial.

"Hey Raph, what are you up to?"

"Hiya Doc, you're not like sleepin' or anything, are you?"

"It's 10:00 Raph, I'm not even close to that."

"Would it be okay if I popped in on you for a little while?"

"Is something _wrong_ Raph?"

"Nah, I just gotta shoulder that kinda needs attention."

"You're_ hurt_? Raph, I can come get you."

"No, that ain't necessary Doc. I've got my bike, I can be over in a few."

"Well, okay...I'll get set up for you."

* * *

From his perch inside the van, Anthony Blackford pulled out his ear-piece with a smile. He _knew_ that listening in on the doctor would eventually provide them with an opportunity. He picked up his radio to call the rest of his team.

"All units, this is Echo One. Target is confirmed, probable bogey is heading our way. Echo Two, can you see our bait's position from your vantage point?"

"He's locking down boss, lights are going out. I'd say he's preparing for a visitor alright."

"We wait for the signal, _nobody _move." Blackford said sharply, and then looked down at the laptop on the passenger seat next to him. A little over a minute later, the computer relayed to him that Luke had just disarmed his alarm.

"Gentlemen, we _have_ our cue." He announced over the frequency. "Move into the back, and wait until we're all together. _Maintain_ your discretion."


	6. Bait

Luke was in the corner of the kitchen pantry, sifting through the back-stock of medical supplies that he kept on hand here at the house. He'd been considering a few different sizes of bandages, and decided just to grab the whole box to be safe. Raphael hadn't told him how he was hurt, but he had mentioned that there _was_ blood involved.

_Why didn't I just insist on going out after him myself? He doesn't need to be tooling around on that dumb bike if he's hurt._

He headed out of the walk-in pantry back into the kitchen, almost jumping right out of his skin when he nearly walked directly into a figure that was standing there, _waiting _for him. He gasped in surprise, back-pedaling slightly when he saw several more dark hooded forms in the kitchen, then ended up blinking rapidly to be sure that he wasn't hallucinating.

"Well _hey _Doc," Blackford said a little mockingly, raising a pistol in his direction. "We were in the neighborhood, thought we'd drop in for a visit."

_I'm sorry, I've already fulfilled my quota of violence for the year - you'll just have to come back later, _was the first ironic terrified thought to enter into his mind. Heart racing, he stayed planted directly where he was, but carefully started inching his wrist in the direction of the door frame.

"Oh_ no _you don't!" Blackford said flatly, threateningly releasing the safety on his weapon. "Keep your hands_ right _where they're at. Bayne, get his watch, and check for the cell-phone too."

Blackford smiled at Luke's shocked expression, as his man removed the time-piece from his wrist, and yanked the cell off of his belt. When Bayne looked like he was about to smash them both, Blackford raised a finger to stop him.

"Leave them _intact_ Bayne, I have instructions concerning them."

Luke eyed the masked leader warily._ Is it possible? How could he have a clue about my panic button?_

"I've been _warned_ about your particular resourcefulness Barrows." The man said, as if reading his thoughts. "I think we ought grab you a seat. I suppose we still have a few minutes before we get company.

Luke's breathing quickened. These men _had_ to be connected to Vale's circle somehow, it was the only thing that could explain how they not only knew _him_, but they were also aware of his technology. It would be impossible to describe in words the absolute terror that struck him in that instant, and he trembled openly as a couple of the men converged directly on him.

_This has to be the nightmare that just wouldn't end!_

"Come Doctor." Blackford said calmly, motioning toward the two men who had him by either arm.

They yanked him into the living room, and he was pushed down into a chair that had been transplanted from the kitchen.

"What do you want?" Luke asked, with as little of a shudder as he could muster. "If you've come to kill me, just _do_ it. Let's not drag it out longer than necessary."

"I understand you've had a rough year Luke, so I'm gonna put your mind at ease right now. I've got _two _pieces of good news for you." Blackford said a little smugly, bending down to his level in the chair, while one of the other men was busy binding him.

"First of all, you realize_ now _that you're not actually losing your mind. We _have_ been watching you, for weeks." The man said, and Luke sensed that he was grinning behind the mask.

_That's__ supposed to make me feel better? I can't wait to hear the __rest__ of his good news._

"And secondly, you're not really our intended target - but you _are _gonna to help us catch him." Blackford finished impishly.

Luke didn't think it was possible for his heart to beat faster than it already was, but the man had just proved him _wrong_.

"W...What are you talking about?" Luke wavered.

Blackford laughed scornfully. "You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about Doc. Raphael will be here in minutes, won't he? I'm just_ dying _to catch up with him."

"_NO_!"

As Luke's voice reached a much higher note, he was firmly gagged from behind, rudely cut off from uttering another syllable.

"Relax Doctor, no sense in getting all upset. This will be relatively painless, at least on _your _end of things. In a few minutes it will all be over, and you can get back to your pathetically terrorized existence."

* * *

Raphael had paused to make another phone call home, before leaving the alley entirely.

"Hey Fearless, I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"Nah Raph, I'm still reading. What's up?"

"My plans have changed, Greg had an uninvited guest stop by, so I had to bail on him. I was gonna head home, but then I got a little piece of action...and one of 'em ended up getting a piece of me too." He admitted. "I'm going over to Chelsea right now, Doc's gonna give me a hand."

"_Shoot _Raph, are you okay? Do you need help?"

"It ain't serious Leo, I just took a blade in my shoulder. I've got it wrapped, I already talked to Doc, so I'm gonna hit the road. I'll call you when I'm leavin' his place, alright?"

* * *

It took him a few minutes to get to Luke's familiar Brownstone, where he simply let himself into the back gate, and then pulled his motorcycle directly inside. He dug through his bag for one of the _several_ remotes that Luke had made up for the garage, and parked inside next to the doctor's Volvo. Then the turtle trotted over the walk-way up to the porch, and knocked lightly on the back door.

When he didn't get a response after a couple of tries, he tested the doorknob, and found it unlocked.

"Doc?" He called questioningly, as he wandered into the darkened interior of the kitchen. "Luke, I'm here! Where are you man?"

Raphael was slightly puzzled when he didn't hear anything in return, and started to move in the direction of the dining room. A distinct creak from the _living_ room caught his attention, and he turned that direction instead. His eyes had adjusted enough to the darkness now, so that when he stepped under the doorway, he immediately caught sight of the shadowy outline of his friend, bound to the kitchen chair.

With a gasp of absolute astonishment, he hurried over to him, dropping to the rug beside the man.

"_Hang_ on here Doc," He urged Luke, as he worked to loosen the gag from his mouth first. "What the _shell _happened, are you okay?"

The man looked like he was about to have a true conniption fit, and the second Raphael managed to get the knotted fabric out of his mouth, he practically exploded.

"_RUN _Raph, they're after _YOU_!"

The turtle was startled by the outburst, but even more so when he backed directly into the barrel of a gun. His hands were quickly reaching for his sai, when another hooded figure emerged from behind Luke, pressing his own weapon to the doctor's head.

"I don't_ think_ so." Blackford drawled almost lazily. "Our source tells us that you value this man rather highly, _don't_ you Raphael?"

_Shell, who are these guys? How do they know who I __am__?_

The man chuckled at his obvious bewilderment. "Keep your hands exactly where I can see them, and don't make any sudden moves." He then motioned to someone else who was behind Raphael.

The man was clearly somewhat timid of the turtle, edging slowly his direction as Raphael growled at him under his breath.

"It would not be _wise_ to resist us, not for your_ friend's _sake." Blackford said warningly to him, and then cast what was probably a glare at the man who was hesitating.

He cowered no further, quickly unstrapping the watch from the turtle's wrist, to Raphael's intense surprise.

_Did he __know__ that I could--_

"Get his phone too, and relieve him of his weapons." Blackford interrupted the thought.

The turtle's frame went rigid and suddenly unrelenting at the mention of his sai. One of the men flipped his weapon over in his hand, striking a glancing blow over the back of his neck that was mostly absorbed by his shell. Raphael _almost _laughed, but in that second, an idea occurred to him. He intentionally collapsed forward, as if the man's blow had actually harmed him, and pretended to be stunned.

_Use your head now Raph. Let 'em think they've got the upper hand, give them a false sense of security._

He was careful not to react when a rough boot nudged his plastron.

Blackford eyed him warily. "That felt a little too simple."

"Well he was already injured boss, d'you see his shoulder?" One of the others pointed out.

"Get him bound Parker, and help Adams get him out to the van. We have some things to finish up in here, just a little housecleaning."

Raphael stayed silent as he wrists were drawn behind him, cursing inwardly when he felt one of them removing his sai.

_Hold it together Raph, don't lose it yet. Let 'em take you outside, away from these stupid guns, __then__ make your move. How convenient of you to leave my legs free._

He maintained the appearance of dead weight as they carried him through the kitchen, and then out the back door. Then Raphael waited until they were a couple of yards _away_ from the house, before barely opening an eye to get a glimpse of one of them. Without warning, he lashed out with his leg at the knee-cap of the man to his right. As the man lost his grip and stumbled, Raphael head-butted the one on his left, and then drove his foot forcefully into the skull of the man on his right to finish him off.

_Who needs hands?_

He cast a swift glance back over his shoulder at the house._ I ain't leaving you Doc, but I can't run back in there like __this__._

Raphael sprinted toward the garage, busting the side-door down with another forceful kick. _Shell, that might have been a little __loud__ bonehead, _he thought in annoyance, as he struggled to get the door shut behind him. _C'mon, don't let me down Doc. I __know__ you've gotta have some kinda tool in here that can help me._

He searched rapidly over the workbench, grateful for the garage windows that allowed at least enough light in for him to see by.

* * *

"What was _that_?" Blackford said sharply, as one of the men darted for the kitchen window.

"I just _guessin' _boss, but I think that thing got away from them!"

Blackford threw up his hands in irritation. "I suppose I have to do _everything _myself." He sent what felt like a dark glance in Luke's direction. "I guess you're getting a field trip after all Doc. He may have abandoned you for the moment, but something tells me that your friend will be coming after us."

The man snatched up Luke's cell-phone in hand before flouncing out the door, and the hunters hustled outside with a newly gagged Luke in tow, the doctor fighting them every step of the way. Blackford cursed openly at the men's ineptness.

"Pick him _up_ you idiots! We need to move!"

* * *

Raphael had located a pair of bolt cutters, and maneuvered them with some difficulty on the workbench, having to work completely blindly with his hands behind his back.

_Dang it, I've gotta get this done!_

Bracing it firmly against the wall, he managed to get the length of the manacles connecting his wrists in between the blades of the cutting tool, and snapped down as hard as he could. Raphael was instantly triumphant as the chain gave way, and he was able to move both arms freely. His celebration was short-lived however, as he sensed rapid movement past the windows on the garage door.

He darted over and stretched to see out, barely catching a flash of two men wrestling with a struggling Luke between them.

"_Not happening_!" Raphael snarled angrily.

* * *

"I can't _believe _the two of you let him get the jump on you!" Blackford spurned the men sharply. "You're going to stay here and watch the house, that thing very well might come back here first. We're going to get Luke somewhere more secure - we didn't come this far just to fail now!"

The rest of them ducked into the van with their prisoner, pulling away down the alley about a minute later. Parker and Adams had barely settled into a dark colored sedan, before the gate to the backyard came flying open with tremendous force. They both saw the shadowy figure emerge on a motorcycle, and immediately turn in the direction that the van had gone.

"Was that--"

"Drive Adams!" Parker snapped at him. "I'll call Blackford!"

As the man pulled out after the bike, it didn't take Parker long to raise his boss.

"Sir, he's pursuing you! The minute you left, he turned up on that motorcycle! We're following behind."

"Excellent - keep a low profile, and don't do any speeding. I'll tell Bayne to slow down too, we're going to need to lead him someplace quieter, and preferably _not_ make a ruckus along the way. Stay with him, but don't interact until I say so."


	7. Accident

Raphael didn't have the faintest idea _what _he was going to do when he caught up with them, but he certainly wasn't going to sit there and _watch_ Luke get stolen again right in front of his very eyes. He could see the black van up ahead, and noticed that they didn't seem to be in a tremendous hurry. He hung back slightly in traffic, but didn't allow it to escape his line of vision.

Now he was cursing the fact that he didn't have his watch_ or _his phone, leaving him no way to contact the others. He had to push the anxiety from his mind, and focus on following the van, while staying under the radar himself. _He_ didn't want to get caught racing through mid-town anymore than _they_ apparently did.

He kept track of them for several minutes, never traveling at more than forty miles an hour.

_Geesh, I feel like I'm in a dagone parade_, he thought with frustration, squeezing the hand-grips very hard for an instant. _If they __hurt__ him, they're gonna wish they'd never laid eyes on this mutant turtle!_

Raphael had sensed the same car behind him for a few miles now, and glanced in his mirror to confirm that the sedan was indeed still on his tail.

_Shoulda known there'd have to be more than one of 'em. Shell, this is suicide, isn't it? They must have some kind of plan here, but what am I supposed to do? Let them get away? I can't leave Luke like that!_

It was a very odd feeling carrying on the slow speed chase, nothing like he'd imagined this kind of pursuit would feel like.

_If I can get them to pull over, maybe they'll settle for __me__ and let Doc go. Where are these bozos running to anyway? Let's finish this already._

He could surmise from the street signs that they were heading away from the heavier traffic of nightlife, then noticed that they seemed to be taking a route toward the river. Once they were free from most prying eyes after a few minutes, the van ahead picked up speed, and Raphael increased his own pace to match it. One more glance in his mirror reminded him that the sedan was still behind him, tracking his every move.

His breathing quickened somewhat as the van pulled off the main road entirely.

_That's been the point of all this, right? Just to get us out somewhere where nobody can see what you're up to. Dang it, I need the guys! But it's too late for me to back out now!_

_

* * *

_

Luke was lying on his chest on the floor of the back-end, one of the hunters practically sitting on top of him to keep him under control.

"We're in the clear." He heard Blackford say from up front. "Tell Adams to stay directly on him."

It was _one_ of the most frustrated feelings Luke had ever experienced, completely helpless to do anything while it sounded like they were preparing to take Raphael down.

_Why __couldn't you just run Raph? I've got the implant now, Donnie could have tracked me!_

* * *

They were racing alongside the Hudson, and Raphael's only thought was to get up beside the van, and see if they would be willing pull over to get him if _he_ would. Just as he was throwing in some more throttle, he realized the sedan had pulled in a lot closer behind him, _much_ too close for comfort.

_Shell, what is he doing? Does he plan to run right over me?_

He tried to veer off to the side to get further away from him, but the car stayed with him, following every slight movement he made.

_We're gonna run out of road here sooner than later_, he thought, a slight panic seizing him as it pulled closer than before.

It occurred to him that he _could _outrun the vehicle, but that would require bypassing the van entirely, and he wasn't willing to do that. As he glanced at his mirror again, the sedan inched forward, slightly tipping his back wheel. He wrestled to keep the bike under control, holding onto the hand-grips for all he was worth. Raphael had just managed to steer out of the swerve and get the motorcycle back into a straight line, when the sedan returned, clipping him harder this time.

There was no getting it back now, as the bike veered uncontrollably to the left. It scraped hard against the pavement, leaving a shower of sparks in its' wake, and he couldn't hold on any longer. His helmet struck the pavement first with a sickening crack as he separated from the motorcycle, tumbling over a few more feet before landing in a ragged heap, completely unmoving.

* * *

Back in the van, Blackford swore loudly. "He wasn't supposed to_ kill _the thing! It had better be alive, or I'll have his head for this!"

His words made Luke's blood run cold, and the man went as still as if someone had suddenly shot him.

The van rolled to a short stop, and the men piled out in a hurry.

"Bring Doc." Blackford ordered one of them, and the goon hauled Luke upright off the floor.

Luke couldn't stop trembling for the moment, fear for Raphael gripping his entire body.

Blackford was already by the sedan, one of the other men captured in his firm choke hold.

"I didn't tell you to take him _out _Adams!" He stated icily, as the man sputtered and gasped for air. "Don't you recall that our payment _hinges_ on catching it alive?"

_Payment? _Luke repeated inwardly. _These guys were just hired?_

Further thought along that line was cut off suddenly when he saw Raphael, and nearly stopped breathing entirely. He struggled in the grasp of the man that held onto him, his muffled cry only echoing in his own ears. The man struck him so hard in the face that it whipped his head back, but Luke couldn't have cared less right now.

"No Johnson, _release _him." Blackford said unexpectedly. "I need his professional opinion on the creature's status."

He shuddered again, this time out of slight relief as the man un-did the restraints, and Luke yanked the gag off himself. Without looking to the right or left, Luke dashed to the prone turtle, quickly reaching for his neck while praying for a pulse.

It resonated under his fingers, a little weak, but present nonetheless. He couldn't hold back a partial sob, or stem the tears from rising at that point. But he swiftly had to pull himself together, and started to probe his neck further for injuries. The bone definitely felt like it was still intact to his experienced hands, and he moved on to his helmet next.

Luke winced opened when he realized that the piece had been ruptured, hating to imagine how much force he had to have struck the pavement with. With some trepidation, he carefully removed the broken helmet, and rolled Raphael back onto his shell. He had a deep laceration that ran a few inches along the left side of his skull, and Luke examined it with concern, recognizing at once how serious it could be.

"I take it the thing survived." Blackford said dryly.

"Yes, but he has a traumatic head injury. He needs immediate attention!" Luke told him.

"Is this something it could still die from?" Blackford asked.

"Without treatment, sure! There's no telling what kind of internal damage I could be looking at, in addition to the possibility of a fatal rise in in intercranial pressure!"

"How does one _control _something like that Doctor? Clearly you can't wheel these creatures into the OR." The man stated curiously.

"We have other methods!" Luke stated sharply. "The easiest way to keep his pressure down is to be proactive, get ice on it to head off the swelling."

"_Just_ ice Doctor?"

"For half an hour, followed by fifteen minutes of heat. It's a cycle, it has to be repeated until the threat diminishes."

"That sounds doable." Blackford allowed, and snapped his fingers at two of the men. "Get this thing into the van, but be _careful_ with it! I don't want it injured worse. Apply some pressure to that bleeding, and get it covered up. I would assume that we need to keep it warm Doctor?"

"Listen, I can help him, I know what I'm doing." Luke spoke up.

"'_Fraid_ not Doc, we've only got room for one extra body on this tour. Bayne, Johnson, take the car and see to it that the good Doctor gets home safely, won't you?"

"_What_?" Luke couldn't believe his ears. "No, you have to let me treat him!"

"I don't _have _to do anything Barrows. Get him out of here, and make sure no one will find him for a few hours yet." Blackford ordered.

Luke was yanked forcibly backwards, now fighting harder than he had _yet_, as he was dragged in the direction of the sedan.

"_Son of a gun_, we don't have to put up with this!" Bayne exclaimed, and smashed Luke hard over the back of the head.

Darkness took him before he even hit the ground.


	8. Feeling

Around 9am, Donatello peeked into the practice room, smiling when he saw Michelangelo running through some katas on his own.

"Hey bro. Do I need a reservation?" Donnie asked him, leaning against the door frame.

"Get your shell in here Donnie!" Mike said with a grin. "I've been itching to get my hands on you."

"It's only been a _day _since we sparred Mikey."

"Can't help it. It's good to mix it up more with Leo and Raph, but I still miss working with _you_ every day."

"All you gotta do is speak up Mike, you _know_ I'll make the time for ya."

"I just don't want to be demanding. I mean you've got_ Jenna_, and work, and--"

"And my _favorite_ little brother." Donatello interrupted, capturing him firmly under one arm.

"I'm your _only_ little brother."

"You'd be my favorite no matter what Mikey."

"I'm touched Don." He wiped away a fake tear, and then cocked his head curiously. "Why do I think I'm smelling food?"

"Oh, that's Jen. When we woke up, she was in the mood to cook."

"You mean I get to work out with you, _and_ I don't have to make breakfast? This morning gets better and better."

"Why _are _you alone anyway? I thought you had Raph on the docket today. Is he sleepin' late or something?"

"Beats me Donnie, he never came home." Mike replied, not sounding overly concerned.

"What do you _mean_ he never came home? Where did he go last night?"

"I talked to Leo before he went to bed. He said Raph was gonna hang out with Greg, but that got messed up. _Then_ he ended up getting into it somebody, and needed a little patch job, so he went over to see Doc."

"What did he do_ that _for?" Donatello said, sounding a little irritated. "I would have taken care of it."

"He probably assumed Doc was up anyway Don, don't take it personal or nothin'."

"That still doesn't explain where he is _now_."

"Doc musta decided he needed to keep an eye on him, asked him to stay over."

"Luke _couldn't_ have asked him to stay over." Dontello interjected swiftly. "He's supposed to be picking up Karina this morning."

"Who?"

"Kat's sister Mike! Her plane should already be here." Donnie turned to his phone for a moment, and let Raphael's number ring until it went to voicemail. He hung up then and tried Luke's, getting the same result.

"No answer?" Mike asked.

"No....I'm just gonna check something." He responded evenly.

Michelangelo followed him as he made a beeline for the Lab, and dropped into a desk chair by the main computer. He then proceeded to stand over his shoulder, while Donatello checked the positions of their cell-phones and watches.

"Their signals put them at Doc's Brownstone." Donatello said after a moment. "Everything looks like it's working properly, doesn't _seem _like anything's wrong. But why aren't they answering?"

"I dunno Donnie, maybe they're asleep. Do you _think _something's wrong?"

"I don't know _what_ to think Mikey. Why would Doc keep Raph there overnight? If he was _that _bad off, he would have called us. I _know_ he would have. Something smells here. Where's Leo?"

"Still asleep I think, you know he hasn't been getting much."

The purple banded turtle groaned softly. "We're gonna have to bother him. I hate to do it, but I have a bad feeling about this. Would you wake him up? I'm going to get on the phone, see if anyone has heard from them."

* * *

A slightly bleary-eyed Leonardo was down a couple of minutes later, just as Donatello was hanging up from Greg's voicemail. The Agent hadn't answered his phone either.

"Donnie, what's happening?"

"I'm trying to figure that out Leo. I'm tracking both Raph and Luke to the Brownstone, but I can't raise them on the cell."

Leonardo rubbed the back of his hand against his forehead tiredly. "He said he'd be back before sunrise, _and _that he'd call when he left Luke's place. I _did_ eventually fall asleep, but I don't have any missed calls. I hope Raph wasn't hurt worse than he told me."

"Leo, Doc woulda _called_ us." Donatello said insistently. "Something's _wrong_, I can feel it."

Leonardo stepped back for a moment, lowering into another desk chair. "No one else has heard from either of them?"

"Marcus is operating this morning, so I can't raise him. April's at work, I could try her again in a few minutes._ Sometimes _she can get a minute to answer the thing when she's there. I didn't get an answer from Greg. I started thinking something could be wrong with our line, but Mike's phone rang properly for me."

Leonardo stared at the computer screen for a long moment, as if he could make sense of the coordinates himself.

"I don't like this either Donnie. It's not like him not to call." Leonardo said quietly, and glanced at the clock again. "Do you suppose Jenna could drive us?"

"Leo, Mike and I could go check things out. I know you're not feeling great."

"No way Donnie, we're _all_ going."

* * *

Jenna abandoned her food preparations with a small pout, but her expression changed when she saw how serious Donnie's was.

"Nobody set off an alert, right?" She asked him.

"No babe, but we'd rather be on the safe side, go and check things out. Hm...I'm not sure _safety_ and broad daylight are two things that belong in the same sentence as far as we're concerned. But we've taken bigger risks already, right?"

"I would have to concur with that. Keys please." She requested.

He dropped the keys into her outstretched palm, but then didn't quite let go of them entirely.

"We're just going to _look_ for them Jen, this won't involve any wall busting."

"Would you let that _go_ already? I totally saved your shells!"

"And almost got _yourself_ killed."

"Are you implying that you and Raphael _didn't_?"

"_C'mon_ you two." Leonardo cut in, pushing Donatello's hand away so that Jenna could get the keys. "This conversation can _wait_ - let's get going."

* * *

Jenna parked the van in the alley outside of Luke's gate for a moment, and jumped out to let herself in. When she hit the button for the garage, she immediately saw Luke's Volvo, but no sign of the motorcycle Raphael had left on the night before. She pulled straight in beside Luke's car, and circled around back to meet the guys.

"Let me go out there first." She told them, indicating to the side door. "I'll make sure the coast is clear."

"Who's gonna see us over the privacy fence?" Mike wondered aloud.

"Would you just let me do this please?" Jenna shot back, and ducked out into the yard through the side.

Leonardo and Donatello were focused elsewhere at the moment.

"His bike isn't here...I hope he didn't have to leave it somewhere." Leo murmured, as Donatello bent down to examine the floor by the workbench. "What have you got there Donnie?"

"It's some kind of chain Fearless, heavy duty. Tool marks indicate that it was cut. I'm just trying to imagine an explanation as to why it would be _here_."

Jenna came back to the door, and motioned for them to follow her.

As the turtles followed her into the sunlight, Leonardo hung back by the door for a minute.

"Leo, what are you doing?" Mike asked him.

"Look at the door." He said evenly. "It's taken a beating of some kind, like somebody would have had to kick it down."

"That's _recent_." Donatello commented. "I was up here the night before _Kat_ left, and it didn't look anything like that."

No one moved for a moment, as Leonardo exchanged a pointed glance with Donatello.

"Donnie, let's you and I go check the house real quick." Leonardo said, slight suspicion growing in his mind the longer they stood there. "Mike, will you wait here with Jenna for a minute?"

He expected his younger brother to protest, but it was the _woman_ who quickly smoldered.

"I'm not some little girl who needs to have her hand held!"

"Jenna, don't you_ dare _argue with me right now. You're waiting here. _Pipe_ down, and we'll be back soon."

* * *

The door was unlocked. Leonardo ventured inside first, with Donatello directly on his shell. Their weapons weren't drawn, but both still felt incredibly uneasy.

"Doc? Raph?" Leonardo called, just as Donatello noticed their watches and phones carefully placed on the kitchen counter.

"Shell, there's their stuff. But where are they?" Donatello said, more to himself than to Leonardo.

"_Donnie._" Leonardo's voice came out in a strained whisper all the sudden, as he grabbed his shoulder, and pointed him toward the pantry door a few feet away.

A chair had been wedged firmly underneath the door knob, as if to block something inside. Even as they stood hesitating for an instant, they both heard a distinct _thudding_ sound come from inside.

"Be ready Donnie." Leo said sharply to his brother as he approached the door, and yanked the chair away from it.

He pulled it open, flooding daylight inside of the darkened storage closet. Despite everything, the sight of Luke bound and gagged on the floor was still a shocking one.

"_Doc_!" Leonardo bounded inside to the man, who was even now fighting hard to get some sound across from behind the rag.

"Just a second Luke, I've got you." Leonardo tried to soothe the man, as Donatello appeared in the doorway.

"_Shell_, what the..."

The pantry was in slight shambles from Luke's unsuccessful attempts to get free, and he clearly looked like he'd been through hell. As Leonardo freed the gag, he put a firm arm around Luke's back to try and steady the man. "Are you hurt Doc?"

"_Forget_ me!" His voice sounded absolutely raw, and utterly terrified. "They took _Raph!_"


	9. Displaced

*** And around this time, you should start to understand the meaning of this fic's title.**

* * *

The cold chill was Raphael's first sign of returning awareness. He could feel the pressure weighing against his skull, both uncomfortable and unexplainable in the same moment. He cringed away from the cold sensation, surprised when the burden lifted almost instantly, leaving a somewhat deadened throbbing in its' wake.

"It could be coming around sir."

Raphael _heard _the words, but had a hard time focusing in order to make sense of what they actually all meant.

_It__? Is he talking about me?_ He thought through the fog, still trying to force his mind to rally, and form rational thoughts.

Where the cold burn had resided before, something slightly damp and _warm _met him now. The soothing presence nearly caused him to relax his grip on reality entirely. As he felt his mind relinquishing, something rose up inside him to fight the action.

_No! You gotta stay awake._

He wanted to move, but every single limb felt like it was made out of lead - even his eyes seemed too heavy to be cooperative. For the moment, he would have to resign himself to merely _listening_.

"Stolle was _right_ about their resilience. I wouldn't be surprised if this one were to come back around completely within a couple of hours at the longest." Another voice said to the first.

"Do you want me to call him now sir, let him know that we have the package intact?"

"I will do those honors Parker - I just wanted to be absolutely certain the thing wasn't going to croak on us. Keep the heat on it for another ten minutes, and then switch back to the ice like the doctor said."

_It __sounds__ like they're talking about me, but I'll be darned if it makes any sense. What __happened__?_

Raphael felt as if some invisible barrier was covering over his sub-conscious, and if he could break through it, he might actually be able to get somewhere mentally.

_Think__, okay? The last thing I remember, I was...I was..._

His thought trailed off slowly as he grappled for _something_, anything that would give him some clue about his current position or condition. Searching turned into frustration as he grasped for several minutes, without returning a single piece of viable information. But he _was_ now keenly aware of the hot breath of the individual standing over him, the curious blend of scents lingering around the room, even the hardness of the table he was lying upon.

_This is insane. It has to be here. There __has__ to be something to explain how I got here...wherever here __is__._

As he tried to gear up for another grappling match with his memory, panic threatened to rise inside of him, overwhelming the frustration with sudden vengeance. The warmth of the rag had been withdrawn, replaced again by the daunting chill, and it seemed to force a cognitive understanding to seize his mind.

_Forget how I got __here__. Where was I __before__ this?_

Frightened breathing suddenly increased, as he couldn't stem the anxiety now coursing through his mind at a rapid pace. Where he _felt_ there should have been _years_ worth of recollection, he was faced only with a desolate void of unknowing.

_This isn't real, it can't be! I have to be in here somewhere!_

Raphael became suddenly aware of the fact that it felt like he was starting to hyperventilate, and forced himself to hold his breath for a long moment.

_Now let it out...__slowly__. Slowly. It'll come back to you, everything will. Just relax, breathe, and don't lose it._

Presently, he heard footsteps echoing across the room, felt another individual hovering over the table.

"Anything more?" The newcomer asked, and Raphael remembered the voice, recognized it as one of the same ones from a few minutes ago.

_I can remember __that__, but I don't know who the shell I __am__?_

"He's very close now sir, he was breathing much harder for a minute there. He was certainly calmer under the influence of the heat, but I brought the ice back like you told me to."

"It's rather remarkable just to _stare_, isn't it? I've hunted my fair share of interesting characters through the years, but _this _thing has to beat all." Blackford said.

_He talks about me like I'm some kind of animal_, Raphael thought bitterly.

Instinctively, he understood that he was _different_ from the voices that hovered over him, that their very presence was something that he _should_ have been very anxious about. At this moment however, he was so desperate for answers that he would have been willing to talk to _anyone_, regardless of their shape or size.

Mentally, he tried to command limbs to function, concentrating extreme effort just in an attempt to lift one arm from the table-top. He could hardly do more than flinch before realizing he wasn't getting anywhere, even if he _had_ the energy to do it. Something was restraining his wrist, keeping it firmly in a locked position. When he focused his attention on that fact, he realized that the same was true for the rest of his limbs. He was forcefully imprisoned, strapped down to this accursed table, as if he was actually _capable_ of getting up somehow.

His frustration seemed to increase ten-fold in that instant, and a snarl leaped to his throat, completely unbidden. From the sense of rapid movement, he could tell that he'd successfully startled at least one of the voices, and the cold ice had immediately ceased contact with his head.

"Yes, he's quite alive and kicking after all." Blackford chuckled. "I didn't consider it while he was unconscious, but we probably ought muzzle it now, for our own protection. I wager it could deliver a nasty bite."

_Muzzle! I __dare__ you to try it. If you idiots treat me like a wild animal, that just might be what you get!_

Raphael's skin was tingling from where sensation and a little bit more freedom were slowly returning. When he felt one of the men take firm hold of his chin, his golden amber eyes snapped forcefully open. Another growl escaped him, but the man was prepared for him now. Very strong hands braced suddenly around his neck, holding him firmly in one place.

He had the impression that the man could easily snap the bone with a simple twist, and therefore didn't struggle as the trembling "ice man" fit a leather muzzle directly over his head. His angry amber gaze never faltered from the man who held his neck, as he tried fiercely to place him. The man stared coolly back at him, only releasing his grip when the other man had finished applying the leather piece.

"Stolle will be here soon." Blackford told him. "He wanted to see the creature immediately, we can expect him within the next hour I would think. We should take the time we have left to clean it up a bit."

_By all means, talk about me like I'm not even here._

Raphael eyed both the men warily, praying for some spark of recognition. When his observation of them produced no results, he tried to get a better look at the rest of the room. He was looking for something, _anything_ that would jar a true memory in his mind.

He tried to jerk away from Parker, as the man started to address the dried blood on his right shoulder. Another low growl pulsed from behind the muzzle.

"You're _sure_ these restraints will hold him?" Parker asked nervously.

"If you're _frightened _of this wounded animal, I could call one of the others to finish up for you." Blackford said mockingly.

"No," The man said, now utterly indignant. "I can handle it."

Gone was the man's tentative motion, replaced by a sudden roughness that sent spasms of pain through the entire length of his arm. Raphael fixed Parker with the darkest glare yet, refusing to cry out under the man's pressure. He gritted his teeth behind the muzzle for several minutes as the man cleaned his shoulder, and then started working on scrapes and burns over his legs and side.

_What the __shell__ happened to me? It feels like I've been hit by a truck. What do these morons even __want__ from me?_

Raphael craned his neck a bit further as Blackford turned on another light, and he could finally get a better glimpse of the room. There was no familiar element about it - he was surrounded by four walls of some extremely obscure color, and pretty much nothing else, with the exception of the steel table that he was strapped down to.

The ice had been off of his head for long enough now that feeling had started to return, and it was _not_ a welcome reunion. The dull throbbing sensation was giving way to pain that was growing, rising and falling with swift jabs that nearly blinded him with their intensity. He couldn't hold in a gasp when Parked started to address his forehead again, even though the man was more gentle _here_ than he'd been on the rest of him.

"Don't worry." Blackford soothed smugly. "It'll all be over soon,_ this _part anyway. That's when your _real_ fun will begin I'm sure."

_More fun than this? Geesh, I can't wait._

"I had no_ idea _what I was taking on when I agreed to this assignment. I must admit I had some doubts along the way," Blackford said thoughtfully. "But _you _creature, you have the distinct privilege of being my highest pay-out to _date_. I'm so happy that you chose to remain among the living."

_And __I'm__ happy that you gave me the choice. But maybe you could just tell me what the heck you're blabbing about, or shut up already._

"It's _almost_ worth it to me to stick around, try to catch up with the _rest _of you. Almost. What with the chances we _already_ took with Luke though, I have to tell you that I'm just inclined to take the money and run."

_Rest of you? Luke? Shell, I get the feeling I ought __know__ what he's talking about. Can't you be a __bit __more specific you bonehead? Just keep talking will ya, feed me some more info to go off of. Something's gotta come back to me._


	10. Panic

Leonardo was crouched over the floor of the living room, tightly clenching Raphael's sai in both fists. The rage consuming him was so strong that he could hardly contain himself from shouting.

Michelangelo had to literally _force_ Luke to stay seated in the kitchen, while Donatello was clearing the second floor.

"They're _long _gone Donnie." Luke said bitterly when the turtle returned. "They got what they came for, and hightailed it out of here_ hours _ago."

"None of them seemed familiar Luke?" Jenna asked as carefully as she could.

"No, I couldn't see their faces, and didn't recognize any of the names they were throwing around. But they _have _to have a connection back to Vale! They_ knew _all about the watches, sure didn't give Raph or I a chance to get a hand on them." His words spilled out so quickly that his sentences actually ran together.

As the man wearily dropped his forehead into his hands, Donatello came to kneel at his level.

"Doc, y'need to let me have a look at you."

"Would you stop worrying about_ me_ for two seconds? We've got to track _Raph _down!"

"We'll have to go back underground." Donatello said a little tightly. "I didn't bring my laptop, and I can't trace his implant at all without a computer."

Luke slammed his fist angrily against the tabletop. "He said they've been watching for _weeks_! Donnie...is it even possible for someone to tap the cell-phones?"

"Not without me knowing it Doc. It's more likely they bugged the house somehow."

"And that's _so_ much better." Michelangelo fumed from across the room.

Leonardo appeared in the doorway with his brother's weapons tucked safely in his own belt, now that his _own_ anger felt somewhat more under control. "Doc, you've gotta get some things together. You're not coming back here, not until this whole thing is sorted out. Donnie, go help him would you? We shouldn't linger here."

* * *

As Donatello was walking Luke upstairs, his phone rang. He took a sharp breath when he saw that it was Greg, and let it out quickly.

"I'm sorry I missed you Donnie - I was in the shower, didn't notice that you tried to call until just now." Greg said when he picked it up.

"Greg, we've got a _major _problem. I was calling to see if you'd heard from Raph, because he never came home last night. We traced him to Doc's place, but neither he nor Luke were answering, so we came up ourselves."

"In _broad_ daylight?"

"Greg, _listen_ to me. Raph's _gone_ - he was abducted last night, and Doc was witness to the whole thing! Some men have been watching Luke's place, somehow set a trap for him."

The man swore loudly on the other end. "_Who_ took him Donnie? What about _Luke_?"

* * *

Donatello had gotten off the phone with Greg, and had been assisting Luke in the bedroom for a little while, before getting somewhat distracted.

"Luke, have you been doing more patchwork in here?" He asked him.

"What?" Luke asked a little breathlessly. "No, I haven't done much of anything with renovations over the last few months. Why are you asking this _now_?"

"Your molding, do you see that small separation from the wall?"

"I hadn't noticed."

Donatello reached into his belt, searching for a screwdriver from the side pocket.

"Is this the time to worry about repairs?" Luke said incredulously. "You _do _understand that Raph is out there somewhere, and he's really hurt?!"

"Yeah Doc, I do...but this isn't about a repair. I'll help you fix it later, I just want to get it off the wall for right now."

"Donnie, why the heck are you messing with it?"

The turtle didn't answer him, he simply started using the flat end of the screw-driver to start prying it loose from the wall in a couple of places. Once he had it on the floor, he turned the wooden piece over in his hands, and started running his fingers over the length of it.

"Are you _looking _for something?" Luke asked him.

"Yeah, and I think I just found it." Donatello said grimly, reaching back into his pocket again to retrieve his tweezers.

Luke got down on the floor beside him, just as the turtle had pulled something loose from the backing.

"What is that?" He asked him, and Donatello met his glance swiftly.

"Doc, if I had to _guess_, I'd say it's a plant. I've never seen one like it."

"You mean it's a _bug_?"

"It's got me wondering how many _more_ are here." Donatello said morosely, as Leonardo and Jenna glanced inside from the hall.

"How's it coming?" Leonardo asked with a note of anxiety. "What are you two doing down there?"

"Nothing Fearless, just studying the bug that was planted in the molding." Donatello said bluntly.

"_Shell. _Well, we knew they were watching _somehow_. Jenna, go ahead and pull some stuff for Katherine too, will you? I don't have a clue what she'll need, but she probably shouldn't be coming back here either." Leonardo said.

* * *

The knock on the front door had come shortly after Leonardo and Jenna had gone upstairs, and had made Michelangelo freeze in his tracks. He held his breath as the knock repeated, glancing up the stairway.

_Please, please just go away_, He thought a little nervously, as he ducked down near the dining room table so that not even a trace of a shadow would be seen from outside.

After it had repeated three times, he waited with baited breath. Five minutes passed with no further sound, and he slowly let it out.

He returned to the bottom of the stairs, feeling just a little bit useless at the moment. Mike rested his forehead against the banister, wishing he could rather bash it into the wall and be done with it. He should have _known_ everything wasn't okay when Raph didn't come home! Now they were even more hours behind them.

With a sigh, he released his hold on the banister, and headed back toward the dining room again. He jolted strongly when he heard footsteps, that plainly sounded like they'd come from the kitchen.

"Luke?"

He recognized the female voice, but it still surprised him to hear it. _Kat? She musta gotten an earlier flight. Shell, she can't have a clue what's going on, nobody's called her. That must have been her at the front door...I wonder why she didn't use her key._

"Hey Kat, we need to talk." Michelangelo said as he entered the room, starting severely when he actually laid eyes on the woman.

It _wasn't _Katherine - though the woman closely resembled her. Her bronze hair was longer, and the wide eyes that stared at him in disbelief were a very light green, instead of a warm golden brown. It was a stunned stand-off between the two of them for a few seconds, and then the woman backed swiftly away from him, cell-phone in hand.

Alarmed, Michelangelo held out both hands, trying to appear non-threatening, while cursing his own stupidity.

"Estancia detrás! Consiga lejos de mí al demonio, Le estoy advirtiendo!"

_Shell I don't have a clue what she's sayin', but that can't be good!_

"Okay, hang on here, hang on!" Mike urged her. "It's alright, I'm not gonna hurt you! I'm friends with Luke and Kat!"

"Dije estancia detrás!" The woman continued, snatching the fireplace poker off the side of the hearth. "Get out of here, I'm calling 911!" She finally spat in english.

Mike instantly spun in the direction of the stairs. "LUKE! A little help down here!"

The man came pounding down the stairs, with both turtles and Jenna right on his tail.

"Mike, what's--Oh _shoot_, Karina!"

The woman backed further against the wall when she saw the two additional turtles, holding the poker out threateningly as if to stab anyone who came in close enough range.

"Karina, they're not dangerous! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...they won't hurt you!" Luke tried to assure her.

"What _is_ this?" The cowering woman demanded, the phone in her hand slightly shaking. "I'm calling the cops if you don't start talking NOW."

"_Don't_ call the cops, call your sister! She'll tell you they're alright!" Luke urged. "Call her!"

The woman only slightly lowered her weapon, dialing her phone with shaking fingers.

* * *

Katherine was just walking out of the public bathroom when her phone rang, and she grinned when she saw that it was her sister.

"Hey Kari! Did your plane get in alright?"

"I _landed _Kat, but your husband didn't meet me! I got a cab out to your place in Chelsea, and I walked in on these...these, Kat I don't know_ what _they are! Luke says you know all about them!"

Katherine caught her breath. "You've seen the turtles, haven't you?"

"It's all _true_? Qué cosa un poco loca es ésta? Cómo podría usted no decirme!?"

After listening to Karina rant in Spanish for about five minutes without hardly taking a breath, Luke finally managed to get the phone away from her, to try and sufficiently explain things to Kat.

Meanwhile, Jenna was attempting to settle the woman down, and see if she would give up the fireplace poker as well. All three turtles were standing off to the side, simply watching the scene as it unfolded in front of them.

"Kat _listen_, I need you to listen to me for a couple minutes!" Luke said as calmly as he could manage. "I couldn't get there, I was a little tied up at the time, and I do mean _literally_! I was attacked last night, some men came into the house, and apparently it wasn't the first time!"

Karina ducked her head, eyeing Luke cautiously as she listened to what he was telling Kat.

"No,_ I'm _alright Kat, that's not the problem right now! I don't know _who_ they were, but they were after the guys! Yes, they know all about them. We've been bugged, Donnie already found some device upstairs! They were using me to get to _Raph_. _That's_ what I'm trying to tell you! He almost got away from them entirely, but_ then _he chased them down when they took off with _me_! One of them forced him to wipe out on his bike, and I don't have a clue how he is now!"

He was silent for a few seconds, now listening himself. "He was alive when we got separated. They took me back to the house, stowed me in the pantry, and the rest of the guys tracked me down a few minutes ago! I _am_ leaving Kat, and Leonardo had me pull stuff for _both _of us. We were almost done when your sister showed up. I don't know_ what _to do on that count!"

Karina's posture was less defensive now, but she seemed even more confused than before, focusing firmly on Jenna.

"_What_ is going on here?"

Jenna cast a glance over at the turtles. "They're brothers, and for the most part, they're _friendly_. They've saved your sister's life more than once. One of them was kidnapped last night, they set a trap for him here, just like you heard Luke say."

"Why? What do they want with him?"

Leonardo took a hesitant step forward. "It could be any number of things - but the most important thing to recognize right now is that we can't stay here. No one is safe in this house, not us, and not you."


	11. Old Friends

*** If you own a shot gun, you may wish to go and lock it up now, before you read this chapter. Go ahead, I'll be waiting for you right here.**

* * *

Raphael's frustration felt like it was reaching a fever pitch. The humans had left him alone for the last few minutes, but lying here just _waiting_ for something to happen was almost as bad as listening to the two idiots talk over him. He would have preferred listening to them, just to maintain the hope of hearing something that would sound_ familiar_.

He could feel beads of sweat forming, as he waged a constant battle to keep his breathing under control. He was still experiencing stabs of pain, that felt like a knife was literally piercing his skull over and over again. As irritating as the physical pain _was_, the void of unknowing that consumed his mind was much more disconcerting.

Raphael had grown weary of wrestling already, and wanted to sleep more than anything else. As the minutes passed, it was getting harder and harder to merely keep his eyes open again. He sighed inwardly.

__

Why am I even fighting this?

* * *

Raphael had been lightly dozing for about twenty minutes, when approaching voices roused him. He opened his eyes, just as figures were crossing the threshold of the doorway, and attempted to raise his head again. This time the action made him so dizzy that he couldn't maintain the motion for more than a couple of seconds.

Stolle was tingling with anticipation as he entered the room. It was a bit of a surreal experience to be facing one of them down in the flesh again, after the efforts he'd expended over the last few months. Seeing Raphael brought back powerful imagery, a vision of the day that the turtles had left _him_ along with all the rest of Vale's men to be arrested.

_Survival of the fittest indeed,_ Stolle thought smugly_. Out of all those ridiculous men, none of them could have saved themselves. Their priorities are so wrong to begin with. Even the strongest warrior can be overcome, by the most "insignificant" of men using a little brain power. You are proof of that old friend,_ Stolle finished with intense satisfaction, running a hand over the sinewy muscles in Raphael's left arm.

_Dang, I don't like the way this guy looks at me,_ Raphael thought ruefully_. Like he's seen me sometime before...but that means he could know who I am!_

Raphael was so lost in the thought, that he didn't even bother flinching away from Stolle's hand.

"It seems calmer now than before." Blackford remarked. "It wasn't too pleased when it came around."

"An animal backed into a corner is _rarely_ an agreeable one." Stolle replied. "Still, it seems you've contained it well. I'd like a better look at him, do you have more light available than this?"

_Somehow, I don't think anyone who wakes up strapped to a table is gonna be too agreeable._

He closed his eyes with a wince as a bright light came on, directly overhead of him.

"There now, that's better." Stolle said amiably, bending over to the survey the turtle's forehead. "You've certainly _looked_ better Raphael."

The name _didn't _strike a chord, but it was a welcome change to constantly being referred to as "It".

When Stolle started to probe more closely, Raphael did try to jerk away from his cold hands this time.

"Perhaps you remember me after all?" Stolle asked with a toothy grin.

_No, and I'm not sure that I want to._

The man shifted from his head, slowly inspecting the rest of him. _Well, he's sure banged up enough,_ Stolle thought with light disappointment._ Still, he'll do for starters. I'm quite certain I can get what I need out of him, and it won't even necessarily require any real talking. He will prove very useful for discovering their limits._

The man fixed Raphael with a pointed gaze, until the turtle's amber eyes pierced back into his very soul. Stolle remembered how badly that look had frightened him awhile back, but this time was different. This time he held all the cards, and he would be the one setting a trap.

_Yes Raphael, and you're going to help me do it._

_

* * *

_

Raphael's gaze continued to eye the man suspiciously, as he brought a small hand-held scanner over to the table.

"I've had a few months to think Raphael, enough time to form a few theories about you and your brothers." Stolle said stoically.

_Brothers?_

"I'm pleased that you're here now. It will give me the opportunity to test out a few of them." The man continued.

_I think I'll pass._

"No need to be concerned, not yet anyway." Stolle said evenly. "This device is only designed to measure frequency signals, and it will help me to decipher anything you have that might be transmitting some kind of a beacon."

Regardless of the man's words, he still tensed sharply as Stolle began to scan the machine over his left side.

_What does he think he's gonna find? This guy is off of his rocker._

The man abandoned the search of his left half after a couple of minutes had passed, and crossed over to the right. He started with the turtle's shoulder, slowly traveling with the scanner down the length of his arm. Something made the man do a double-take, and a smile crept over his features.

"_Now_ you can be concerned." Stolle told him.

_I don't even wanna know what that means._

"Williams, come here please. I'll likely need you to hold his arm down for this."

_Hold it for what you moron?_

When the hulking man came into Raphael's line of vision, it was the first time that he felt like he could have visibly paled. He glanced back at Stolle, jolting slightly when he saw the knife in the man's hand.

_Shell, what are you gonna do with that?_

"I would strongly advise you not to struggle Raphael, or you will make this much worse for yourself." Stolle warned him, as he brought the blade to bear near his forearm.

Instant sweat broke out again, as Williams firmly held his right arm completely still on the table.

_You're not really gonna---_

The thought was cut off by his own painful gasp, mostly muffled by the leather muzzle. He clenched his jaw tightly, rolling is neck to the side as the man cut him.

Blackford watched the scene curiously, shaking his head after a moment. _This guy is a proper nut case. I almost feel sorry for the thing...but not really._

Stolle took a few minutes to properly probe through the incision he'd made in the turtle's arm, searching with a definite purpose in mind. He ended up needing William's pressure to keep the arm properly braced, smiling slightly at the whimper of pain William's not so gentle hands brought out of Raphael. In a little under ten minutes, he found what he'd been looking for, carefully prying the device out of the turtle's arm entirely.

"Ah. _There_ you are. This helps explain so _many_ things. I suppose Luke has one of these too, doesn't he Raphael?"

Raphael's glare looked like it might burn directly through the wall.

_You stupid son of a....wait. What did he just pull out of me?_

Stolle was bent over a desk now, magnifier in hand. He studied the device for a few moments, having no real desire to destroy it._ This will come in handy later, if I can just get it turned off for right now._

"Williams, get some pressure on that bleeding, won't you?" Stolle requested over his shoulder, without looking up from the task at hand.

Williams twisted the now _twice_ injured limb cruelly, as he wrapped the incision with layers of gauze.

_Hulk or not, I am so gonna hurt you,_ Raphael seethed inwardly.

Stolle had managed to separate the implant into two pieces without doing harm to it, and was satisfied that not _only_ was it no longer transmitting, but that he would also be able to make it work again. He sealed the halves in a plastic bag, and turned back to Raphael's side.

"The government can be _so _predictable Raphael. The _technology_ may be new, but the _methods_ never change, do they? I'm going to hold onto your tracking device myself for awhile - I don't want our reunion to be broken up prematurely." Stolle told him.

_Tracking device? Shell, that doesn't make any sense. But then again, maybe it does. He clearly thinks I'm wrapped up in somethin'._

Stolle glanced at Blackford for the first time in a few minutes. "His condition isn't perfect, but he'll suit my purpose. I have your payment."

_Care to share what I'm worth?_ Raphael thought sarcastically, as the transaction ensued between the two men._ Must be how it feels to come from a pet store._

_

* * *

_

Raphael waited with closed eyes while the two conversed just out of his earshot, trying to ignore the fact that William's heavy breathing was still so close by. An urge to _quiet_ himself had unexpectedly hit him. Under the guise of being limp and worthless, he was trying to figure out how much energy he actually had to deal with, sensing there was some kind of power hidden that he hadn't tapped into yet.

"We're leaving Williams.", he heard Stolle say, but kept his eyes firmly shut. "Can you handle him?"

"Easily." The man shot back, and started to address the restraints holding Raphael down.

_Seriously? You're gonna let me go? Not for long I bet._

The turtle held his breath as he heard Stolle's footsteps leaving entirely, and was careful not to stir. He sensed that he was alone with the big one now. As Williams released his arms, Raphael let them flop loosely to the table, as if he had no control over them whatsoever. Inwardly, his mind was still analyzing what he actually might be capable of. As Williams freed one of his legs, Raphael slightly flexed the muscle with some surprise.

_Wow, that feels strong. I bet I could give this guy a run for his money if I was firing on all cylinders._

Through nearly closed eyes, he spied Williams by his left leg, unfastening the last of the restraints.

__

Wait

, the inward thought urged him, _wait until he's in a better position_.

A split second later, the man's jaw was within easier striking distance. Almost without thinking, Raphael struck out with his leg, landing a forceful blow to the man's face. He was startled _himself_ by the power behind it, but couldn't hesitate for long.

_C'mon, move your shell! It's now or never._

He sat up with some serious difficulty, the action causing his head to feel like it might explode entirely. As he swung both legs over the side of the table, the motion made him incredibly dizzy and sick to his stomach at the same time - but he wasn't stopping. He tested lowering them to the floor, as his vision blurred from a particularly vicious stab of pain.

_C'mon! You can do it, this is your life here!_

He rose to his feet unsteadily, and his legs didn't feel like they would support him for long.

_Have to try,_ he thought stubbornly_. One leg at a time - let's go_

The dizziness was _worse_ now that he was on his feet, and moving a single step was a battle in itself. In the end, he only made it about three before crashing to the floor, and darkness claimed him again.

Williams stirred with a slight wince, starting severely when he found himself on the floor, and the turtle gone from the table. He swore aloud, but he needn't have worried - the creature was only a couple of feet away. The man shuffled over to him swiftly, ramming a heavy boot into the lifeless creature's side.

"You're gonna _pay_ for that turtle." He muttered darkly.


	12. Chasing

Jenna was _not _pleased by what Donatello had asked her to do on the back porch.

"_Why_ am I being relegated to distraction status?" She demanded.

"Jen, don't think of it like that. We need to make sure that Karina keeps her mouth _shut,_ and gets a _real _vision of the truth. Will you _please_ do this for us? I know that you can handle her."

"And _then_ what Donnie? I'm supposed to just _sit_ back like a mother hen, while you guys chase down Raph?"

It was only _then_ that he realized what was actually bothering her.

"Jen...I wish I knew what to say to you. We just have to get after him as _fast _as we can."

There was a stray tear in her light blue eyes, and she wiped it fiercely away. "Well, you'd _better_ watch your shell, because I'm not gonna _be_ there to rescue you this time." She said a little ironically.

"You wouldn't come after me?" He said with a slight pout, for no other reason than to try and get a smile from her.

It almost worked, but the weight of the situation was too serious for her to relax. She wrapped both arms around him, and he stretched to kiss her.

"Alright Donnie." She said with resignation, "I'll take Karina to my Mom's place, and I'll babysit her...while _you_ go have all the excitement."

Karina had been standing just around the corner from the back door, intentionally eavesdropping on the both of them. It was clear that they weren't going to try to _force_ her to do anything, and that was actually the only reason she'd decided that she _would_ go with Jenna.

_She sure doesn't seem __happy__ about it though, and I can't say that I'm thrilled at the prospect of being "babysat". But something tells me that __my__ problems just got a whole lot more insignificant._

Karina caught a glimpse of their embrace, nagging confusion gnawing at the back of her mind.

_There's a lot more __to__ this than what it seems. I can't believe Kat never said anything. But how was she supposed to tell me? It's not __exactly__ something you can blurt out over the dinner that we have every three months. I hope she'll shed some light on all this when she gets back._

Karina walked outside a moment later, sensing that Donatello and Jenna were done talking.

"Hey." Jenna said evenly. "Luke's going to lend us his car. Are you still okay with coming to my Mom's condo?"

"As long as it won't put _her_ out." Karina replied.

"She's with Kat, she won't even get in until tomorrow."

"Is your Mom FBI too?" Karina asked curiously.

"No, she works for the government. She's the one Kat's_ protecting_."

"And _everyone _knows about them I suppose?" Karina asked, shooting a glance at Donatello. "Sounds like one big happy family." She said a little bitterly.

They were saved from having to respond to her, when Greg came suddenly flying up the walk-way.

"_Dang it _Heff, I told you it wasn't necessary to come here." Donatello chided him.

"I wanted a look at the house for myself Donnie. I thought--" Greg cut off sharply when he saw Karina, and swore openly.

"Hello to_ you _too Agent Heffernan." Karina said with serious irritation. "Everybody's _so_ happy to see me today."

* * *

Underground a few minutes later, Donatello was in front of his computer, experiencing a very _unwelcome_ form of deja vu. Leonardo and Michelangelo had waited outside to give him some space, but Luke was inside of the Lab with him. The man paced across the length of the floor, while he waited for Donatello to say _something_.

"Don, what's _up_?" He finally couldn't stand it any more. "Is he that bad off?"

"I really couldn't say Doc." Donatello sounded faint, and suddenly far away. "I'm not getting a signal from his transmitter."

Luke came immediately to his side, dropping down by the desk. "Are you _sure_?"

"Positive. I've got information it recorded last night, well into this morning. It didn't stop working entirely until about an hour ago."

"What was the last thing it transmitted?"

Donatello already had the scan on the screen, and backed off a little so that Luke could get a clear view of it.

"That's a major spike in pulse rate." Luke murmured.

"He was up and down all morning, which indicates that he was _awake_ at least." Donatello replied. "I'm searching his last known coordinates, they should come up in a minute here."

Luke tapped his foot impatiently as they both waited for the program to load.

"Right...here we go. The address is out of...Airmont? Where's that?" Donatello asked.

"That's one of the villages of Ramapo - it's only about an hour from here!" Luke said swiftly.

* * *

"We don't have any time to waste here Jen." Donnie said, having a little difficulty holding onto the phone as he hurried to finish packing. "That was the last location it beamed our direction, so that's where we're heading now. Do me a favor, and keep trying to get ahold of Marcus and April. We're gonna be off on the road here in a couple of minutes. No, Greg is driving, and I guess Doc's coming too. No, this isn't supposed to make you jealous. I'm sorry you can't come this time, but I'm_ not _sorry you'll be out of harm's way.

Listen, I gotta get finished up here - I'll call you before we move in on anything, I promise. I love you too."

* * *

The ride was a rather tense one, with none of the three turtles talking in the back very much to start with. Donatello had been keeping an eye on his laptop. Sensors hadn't indicated that the implant was actually _destroyed_ - he was holding out hope that it could still come back altogether.

"Donnie, do you think Stolle might have used that _thing_ on him?" Leonardo finally asked quietly. "You remember it knocked _my_ implant out completely."

"It doesn't _appear_ that's the case Leo - the stun actually gave off a very powerful signature, and I'm not seeing anything like that here."

"Then why wouldn't it be working?" Mike asked on edge.

"It's _electronic_ guys, it's not infallible." Donatello replied. "It's looking more and more like I need to go back to the drawing board with these things."

* * *

Greg was gripping the steering wheel so hard, that his knuckles had started turning white.

"Greg, are you sure you're okay to drive?" Luke asked cautiously, and the man shot him a_ look_.

"_You're_ one to talk. I've heard you're like a bat out of hell when you're in a hurry." He snapped back, instantly regretting it. "I'm sorry Luke, I'm just so _mad_ I could explode here."

"Hence, my reason for asking."

"This is my fault." Greg muttered, never once taking his eyes off the road.

"_What_ is, the thing with Raph?"

"He was supposed to be with _me_ last night!"

"Heff, you didn't kick him out," Luke said, reverting to the turtle's familiar nickname for the man. "They were watching us...and they were _still_ gunning after them, whether they caught Raph last night or not."

Greg gave Luke a brief glance, pent-up anxiety causing a slight shudder. "That's the _other_ reason I'm so angry Luke. They had no_ right_. We're lucky they even_ let _you go at all, without hurting you _worse_."

The man struck the steering wheel out of sheer frustration. "This is so messed up!"

* * *

Greg held his breath as he pulled up nearby the address that Raphael's implant had returned, giving Luke another pointed look.

"This is it?"

"Yup. Looks quiet right now, doesn't it? I'm gonna call the guys." Greg replied, and dialed Leonardo in the back of the van.

"Where are we Greg?" Leo asked him.

"We're _here_. Oh boy, hang on for a second." Greg urged him when he noticed the front door opening, and then turned to Luke. "Get _down_ Doc, don't let 'em see you."

Greg ducked backward slightly himself. While they waited in silence, several men converged on the front porch, their mood seeming somewhat celebratory.

"What do you see?" Leo asked, after they'd been quiet for awhile.

"Bunch of guys came out of the house, they're talking. Hang on for a second." Greg repeated, as they started moving.

Six of the seven were piling into a van, leaving one man lingering on the porch with a cigarette in hand. He stayed outside a short while later after the van left, until he'd finished his smoke, and flicked the remains away.

"Okay." Greg said quietly, as if the man could have heard him all the way from the house. "Most of them just left Leo. One guy went back inside - I don't know how many could be still in there."

"Do you see any other foot traffic around?"

"No, there's nothing going on. There's only one other house down here, and it's dark. It doesn't even look like it's occupied. We need to get ready to move, this will probably be out best opportunity."

* * *

The turtles met Greg around the side of the van that was blind from the house, and Leonardo eyed Greg as he loaded a new magazine into his gun.

"You're not _planning_ on shooting anyone, are you?" Leo asked.

"Only if _fists_ fail. You _know_ they have guns in there Leo, I'm just trying to level the playing field somewhat."

Donnie was knocking on Luke's window at that moment. "Hey, _stay_ put okay? Keep the doors locked, and don't let anybody see you."

"Would you _please_ be careful?" He shot back.

"We'll handle this Doc, you just stay cool in here." Donatello told him, and returned to the other three, already lightly fingering his bo. "So are we just going in, or what? It doesn't look like there's any real security going on here."

"Do you think you can break us in _quietly_ Donnie?" Leo asked him.

"Shouldn't be an issue Fearless. Let's go!"


	13. Desperate Times

_Slap!_

"_Where_ is he?" Greg seethed angrily, from behind a mask of his _own_.

He had Blackford pinned down to the very same table that _Raphael_ had woken up on, and he was growing more infuriated with the man as every minute passed. Leonardo was standing coolly nearby, but had yet to actually interject anything yet. Around twenty minutes had passed, and so far Blackford hadn't uttered a single syllable, except for laughing outright.

Greg swore, and backhanded the man harder. "I can do this all day, I don't care how long it takes! _Where is he_?"

Blackford eyed the way Leonardo was still standing back, and laughed scornfully again. "You were pretty quick, but not fast enough." He said impishly. "_Elvis_ has left the building."

"We can see _that_!" Greg punctuated the last word with another firm palm strike across the man's face. "_Tell_ me where he is!"

He was so sick of listening to the man's laughter, and rolled his eyes heavenward as Blackford refused to say anything further.

_We're not gonna get __anywhere__ at this rate. I've gotta switch this tactic up._

Greg turned his back on Blackford for a moment, walking over to Leonardo. "Leo, I'm gonna need a couple of minutes with him." He said quietly, so only the turtle could hear.

"You want me to leave?" The turtle whispered back flatly, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "_Why_ Heff?"

"Because he _knows_ stuff about Raph. Do you want to get him back, or don't you?"

Leonardo steely gaze bore into him for a minute, hesitating. "Don't do anything _permanent."_

"We'll see how it plays out."

"_Greg_."

"_Leo_."

"Fine - but I'm coming back in ten minutes." The turtle finished insistently.

"I won't _need_ that long Leo. I'll call you in a little bit, okay?"

Muttering something unintelligible under his breath, Leonardo walked out of the room, and Greg resumed his position beside Blackford.

"Now. Where were we?" Greg said evenly. "Since you don't feel like _talking_ right now, I figured I'd share a few things with you myself. The truth is, I'd normally tell you that you have a lot more to fear from the turtles than you do someone like _me_. They could kick my tail in a fair fight _any_ day of the week. But the fact is, they operate according to a strict code of _honor_, which prohibits them from torturing, maiming, or otherwise _killing_ an enemy once they already have them contained.

Based on your behavior, it seems that you're well aware of the particular process. You know that they're not really gonna do anything to you, not while you aren't posing an active threat. What you obviously _don't _know, is that _I_ don't subscribe to the same regulations that they do. In other words, I could make the next ten hours of your existence the most painful you've ever faced, and I'll _still_ lay my head down tonight, and sleep like a baby."

As he finished the statement, he brought his hand to bear inside of Blackford's collarbone, sharply twisting the pressure point. He held on firmly, and then continued talking.

"I've run out of patience with you _scum_, and now I'm ready to teach you the _true_ meaning of pain. You're sure tough when you've got your guns and you boys surrounding you - but let's see how strong you are when it comes down to just little 'ol you and me. You know, there are a lot of theories out there, circling around the most painful bone in the human body that you can break. Nobody seems to agree to a consensus on _anything_, so I thought it would be fun to test it out for myself today.

I encourage you to be completely honest in your pain assessment. Where would you like me to start Blackford? I'm thinking I'd like to begin with the smallest bone, perhaps just work my way up from there. _One_ at a time, this should certainly take awhile. I won't break them _all_ of course, don't get me wrong. I don't want you _dying _on me before I've gotten everything that I want out of you."

Greg leaned an even firmer grip on the point, hovering inches now from the man's trembling form.

"I'll just break everything that isn't absolutely vital to _keeping_ you alive. Whatever's left over after that, I'll bury so far underground that the heat from the earth's core will completely _incinerate_ your sorry remains."

He unexpectedly released his grip on Blackford's collarbone, and walked around to the end of the table. Unlacing one of the man's boots, Greg gave him a slightly sadistic smile. "Shall we get started then?"

"_No_!" The guttural cry leaped from the man's throat before he could contain it. "Please, I...I don't_ know _where he is!"

"That's not what I want to hear Blackford." Greg said calmly, yanking the boot off entirely. His fingers probed over his ankle for an instant, before locating another pressure point. "Did you know that each of our feet is made of twenty-six separate bones? I imagine it would take me an hour just to complete both of them."

"I'm telling you, I don't know where he is!" Blackford bellowed insistently. "I'm a _middle_ man, a bounty hunter! I bag 'em, hand 'em over, and I get paid! That's it! I don't_ know _anything about what happens next!"

"I want a _name _Blackford, and this is your last chance. Who purchased Raphael from you?"

"_Stolle_, the guy's name is Isaac Stolle! I don't know where he lives, what he does, nothing! I never even _met_ the guy in person until today! We talked over the phone, and the internet!"

"When did he take Raphael?"

"He's been gone...probably close to three hours now! The turtle was still alive, I swear!"

Greg stared the man down hard for several seconds, further terrorizing him.

"_Please_, it's true! I don't know where he was going from here, he's a private guy! He wouldn't have given me information like that! I can't _tell_ you anything else!"

Greg nodded slightly. He felt strongly that the man was telling the truth, and he _remembered_ the name of Stolle as being mentioned by Luke in connection with his recent kidnaping.

_So his suspicion of all this all tracing back to Vale's circle was absolutely right on_, Greg thought morosely.

He lightly patted Blackford's cheek with a grin. "_That_ wasn't so hard, now was it? Oh, but there_ is_ one more thing."

Greg's hand went instantly around Blackford's throat, constricting like a vise. "If you_ ever _come around these turtles or Luke Barrows again, I _will_ find you, and I won't be as _easy_ on you. Do we have an understanding? No, I _realize_ you can't talk." Greg said with an unruly smile. "Just blink your eyes a couple of times for me."

He turned the man loose with a rough jerk after a moment, and trotted back to the doorway. "Hey Leo, I'm done. _Told_ you it wouldn't take that long."

* * *

Donatello had been searching through Blackford's cell-phone, systematically testing phone numbers. The last call the phone had made was a few hours ago, and has lasted a duration of about six minutes. But when Donnie attempted to dial the number himself, he only received a message informing him that the phone couldn't receive any calls.

_It's probably connected to a disposable cell_, he thought with disappointment. _Oh well, at least it sounds like __Greg__ managed to get something out of that freak._

He glanced up to meet Doc's gaze, which he felt had been on him for the last few minutes now.

"The number's not working Luke." He told him. "But it was certainly operating a few hours ago. There have been a number of calls to this _same_ number, over the course of the last few days."

"But _now_ it's vanished," Luke said angrily. "_Along_ with Raphael!"

"We're gonna_ find _him Doc." Michelangelo said determinedly. "It seemed pretty impossible when we lost all sight of_ you _too...but here you are."

"Yes, because you and Leo ended up getting caught! And _now_ we don't even have his implant to go off of!" Luke exclaimed in frustration.

"No, but we _do_ have a name." Greg announced as he re-entered the room with Leonardo at his side. "Isaac Stolle."

Luke instantly paled, a tremor running all the way down his spine. "I was actually hoping that I _wasn't _right on that count." He murmured, backing against the wall for support. "Oh my word...he's _crazy_. _All_ of Vale's guys thought so! Why did it have to be _him_?"

"It's something to go off of." Leonardo said quietly, reaching out a firm hand to try and steady Luke. "And if he wanted Raph dead, he probably wouldn't have paid all that money for the Hunters to bring him in _alive_. We're _gonna_ get him back Doc."

"What do we do now?" Mike asked swiftly.

"We head back to the city." Greg replied. "I'll get myself into the Bureau records, search for anything we have available on Stolle. Donnie, grab that laptop. Blackford said that he and Stolle communicated over the internet, there's probably some stuff you can retrieve off it."

"How did you get him to _talk _Heff?" Donatello asked curiously. "Leo said he was shut as tight as a steel trap."

"Is he still breathin'?" Mike asked impishly.

"I didn't hurt him_ that _bad." Greg said simply. "I just reasoned with him, made him hear the voice of logic."

"I suppose your methods would all have been government approved." Leonardo said, slightly tongue in cheek.

"As far as I'm concerned, this ain't even under their jurisdiction Leo. Desperate times...well, you know how the saying goes. We should get moving." Greg answered.

"We just gonna leave him that way?" Mike asked, motioning toward the room where Blackford was strapped to the table.

"I figured we could call _Raph's_ favorite number for him on our way out." Greg muttered darkly.


	14. Reacquainted

When Raphael came around again, it was because of a sharp stinging in his right arm. He tried to jerk away from the fingers that were touching him, only to discover he'd been restrained once more. He opened his eyes slowly, and found himself face to face with Stolle.

_Shell, not __you__ again._

"I _thought _that might bring you around." Stolle said lightly, and resumed his work on Raphael's arm.

Through the slight daze that remained, Raphael suddenly realized that the _muzzle_ was gone. He stretched out his jaw experimentally, eyeing Stolle mutely for a couple of minutes, while the man re-wrapped his shoulder properly.

"Why are ya doin' that?" The turtle finally asked raggedly, not realizing until that moment how thirsty he was.

"It's just an old rule of Vales', that I still enjoy practicing." Stolle said matter-a-factly. "Start with a clean slate. He usually liked for his victims to be _healthy_ before they were broken."

_Boy, __that__ sounds like loads of fun._

Raphael glanced around, suddenly noticing that he was in a completely different room than before, even the restraints were a different make. Stolle caught his confusion, and smiled evenly at the turtle.

"You're home sweet home for now, at least until I'm finished with you." He informed him.

"What do you _want_ from me?" Raphael asked slightly hoarsely.

"A better question would be, what _don't_ I want from you." Stolle correctly. "I don't need any trouble. If you try to bite anyone, that muzzle is going back on, and you won't get a drop of water to save your life. I'd wager you're pretty thirsty by now, aren't you?"

Raphael wouldn't dignify the question with an answer, even though he dearly wanted it. Stolle had a bottle in his hand already, and went to set up the back of what appeared to be an examination chair that he was strapped to this time. The turtle's amber gaze didn't seem trusting of the gesture, and Stolle merely shrugged.

"You can drink it or not Raphael, but I'm not going to stand here all day. So if you want it..."

Feeling the heat rise angrily in his cheeks, he allowed the human to _help_ him get down most of the bottle. Sullenly, he decided the relief was worth the humiliation.

"Feel better now?" Stolle asked.

_Yeah, I'm perfect. I've been busted up, kidnaped, and I don't have a clue who I am. But other than that, life's a dream._

"I do hope we can get along nicely Raphael." Stolle said, in what honestly sounded like a friendly overture.

_I wouldn't count on it._

"You should be pleased to know that Luke is alright." The man informed him. "The hunters returned him to his home last night, hardly a scratch on him I understand. That wasn't exactly how _my_ men wanted it, but I prefer to avoid most of the legal entanglements that come alone with kidnaping. It's so much easier taking a creature that _doesn't _exist."

_If I don't exist, how the heck am I __here__ you moron?_

"_Speaking_ of my men, I understand that you didn't get off to a very good start with Williams. He's rather eager to greet you _properly_, but he'll have to wait a couple of days at least. You need to rest up before you get to face the whole crew."

_Before they "break" me you mean? Great, something to look forward to._

"In the meantime, I thought I would begin with just getting a closer look at you Raphael. I didn't spend very much time with your brothers after Vale caught them. I was rather distracted with other matters at the time, not realizing the true significance of what you are."

_I wish I had the remotest clue what you were talking about._

Stolle observed the turtle's gaze, struck by the lack of feeling in it. He had assumed that bringing up his brothers would trigger an emotional response, or that at least talking about Luke would cause a strong reaction. But as far, his stoic expression hadn't faltered.

_Still have a lot of fight left in you, hm? _Stolle thought curiously. _We'll see how long that lasts when I __really__ get started with you._

"What do you want from me?" Raphael asked again, not willing to give up so easily on the question.

"It's not actually _you_ that I want, so much as Donatello." Stolle said pointedly, waiting again to see if the words would prompt a real response from Raphael.

He seemed completely non-plussed, not the least bit moved by anything that Stolle had said to him.

"If you don't want _me_, then why am I here? Why'd you pay all that money?" Raphael pushed.

"Because you're going to help me _catch_ the one that I want." Stolle didn't mind telling him.

"Yeah? How am I gonna do _that_ strapped to this chair?"

"Your family is quite resourceful Raphael. I know they're looking for you - and I'll make sure that they_ find _you, when the time is right."

_So I've got a family __and__ brothers. I 'spose Donatello is one of 'em. I wonder what he wants __him__ for._

Stolle couldn't get over the turtle's controlled expression. He knew from his own research that Raphael was by far the most volatile of the four, not to mention the fact that he'd already attacked Williams.

_Does he actually think that he can protect them by simply not responding to me? _Stolle thought inwardly._ I didn't expect him to be so even-keeled, not after the things I've heard. Odd, very odd indeed._

"For now, perhaps we could just talk about Donatello." He suggested to Raphael.

_You mean like the fact that I don't __know__ him? What am I supposed to say to this guy?_

"I should tell you that I'm not extraordinarily patient Raphael. Even these last few weeks have been rather hard to bear. You _are_ going to talk to me eventually, I'm _quite_ certain of that. The only question is how much you're going to insist on suffering first."

_Oh man, if he finds out I really __can't__ tell him anything, he might not wanna keep me around at all. I've gotta keep my mouth shut, try to bide my time here._

Stolle lightly fondled the tattered red mask that he was wearing. "You must have very strong instincts to protect them," He said understandingly. "But _I_ have very strong methods to persuade you. I think you'll soon start to see things my way Raphael."

The turtle sighed tiredly. The man's voice was seriously grating on him.

"Haven't you even wondered how I escaped from that cabin to begin with?" Stolle pressed him, as Raphael simply stared blankly ahead. "After you left us to be arrested, I managed to free myself, all on my own. The others, they were all helpless." He said smugly. "And they thought _I_ was always the weakest link. Boy did they change their tune when I freed a couple of them. We devoted ourselves to the purpose of finding you, and in all honestly, it wasn't very hard. We already knew about your strong connection to Luke, so all we had to do was follow the bread crumbs. They led us directly to you."

The man's words were buzzing to become even more meaningless nonsense than they already felt like to Raphael's mind. His head was still pounding, and he was intensely weary of listening to the man talk.

"You just happened to be the one with the luck of the draw, the first to show up alone at Luke's house, after his lovely wife had gone on her trip. It really was so much easier to wait until little Ms. FBI was out of the way."

_FBI! I really am in something deep_, Raphael thought a little foggily.

Stolle finally seemed to sense that the turtle was fading slightly away from him, and patted his left shoulder.

"Go ahead and get some rest Raphael. You need to get all healed up, so the process can begin for real."

Stolle walked away from the turtle, shutting off all one but small light in the room.

Raphael trembled all of the sudden, a chill wracking his entire body.

_I hope he's right - I hope there __is__ somebody looking for me. But it won't do 'em much good if he gets his hands on them first._

He closed his eyes, and tried to release some of the tension in his muscles.

_Crap, how am I supposed to relax knowing I'm about to get hit by a hurricane?_

Raphael kept his eyes shut, as his mind drifted somewhere between rational thought and oblivion.

_The guy might be a fruit cake, but it feels like he's right. I __don't__ exist, it's like I __never__ existed at all. I've got nothing to retreat to, nothing I can remotely fall back on._

Colored lights seemed to dance behind his closed eyes, and he forced his mind to focus on them, instead of the emptiness that threatened to drown him. The twirling light show kept him occupied, distracted enough that thoughts started to wind down, and the weariness began to take over from where it had left off previously.

With another deep longing sigh, he relinquished to a troubled sleep.


	15. Protectors

Karina had seen the instant hope in Jenna's eyes when the woman answered her cell-phone, swiftly erase as she passively listened to what was being said on the other end.

"Then...you're heading back?" She asked, her tone seriously strained. "Yes, I'll stay put here, at least until Kat gets in. Be _safe_."

Jenna hung up the phone a second later, dropping it with a _bang_ onto the coffee table. Both hands came up to her temples, as she released a very shaky breath.

"Did...did they find him?" Karina asked meekly.

"No." Jenna replied shortly. "Just the freaking bounty hunter who _took_ him. Raph was long gone before they ever made it there."

She slammed her foot into the table, anger at a boiling point.

"Then what happens now?" Karina said softly.

"Greg got a name out of him. They're coming back to the city, and they'll start digging. In the meantime, I get to sit here and do _nothing_. Now I know how Kat must have felt."

"What do you mean?"

"When she got left behind, after Luke was kidnaped. I never really considered just how difficult that had to be on her, I was too caught up in the chase myself at the time."

"Jenna, can you start over? I don't have a clue what you're talking about, but I have the distinct impression that Luke's rescue probably played out a lot differently than what Kat shared with me."

"We couldn't very well explain to the world what _really_ happened, now could we? When the guys went after Luke, another of our friends and I went with them to help. They needed someone who could drive in the daylight, and take care of the other little errands that we take so much for granted. It's a long story, and if you really want to hear all of it, I'll tell you about it later. I'm just not really feeling it right now." The woman said, obviously still fuming, and struggling to control her emotional response.

"You really care about them." Karina commented.

"We _all_ do Karina, your sister included. I know this has to be very strange for you, but I hope you aren't angry with her. She was only trying to protect them."

"And I live on the other side of the country." Karina finished. "Or I _did _rather."

"You're not going back to California?" Jenna asked suddenly.

The woman hesitated for a long moment, but she'd been bottled up for so long, she felt like she would bust if she said nothing.

"I came to New York to start over. I didn't tell Kat that over the phone, there were some things that I wanted to say in _person_ to her. I just needed to make a clean break with my old way of life, and she very well might be infuriated with me when she hears what I had to do back home.

I've missed my sister Jenna. Only seeing her a few times a year has been difficult, and even when she did come to town, she felt somehow distant. Our Mom's been gone for years now, and...the things that were holding me in California just started slowly dissipating.

I knew finding work here wouldn't be a problem, I've actually got a slew of interviews lined up for next month with various dance companies. I'm just hoping to act as a trainer/choreographer - I'm too old to be entering that arena for the first time as a performer." Karina finished. _Even though that was all that I ever really wanted,_ she added ruefully. "But I'm sorry, this isn't about _me_ right now. You said...you told me that Kat met the turtles, the same night that the UN was attacked. What were they doing in there? What if someone had seen them?"

"Someone _did _see them." Jenna pointed put impishly. "They came in after my Mom and I, we were trapped inside, and they couldn't leave us to die."

"And you said your Mom works for the government, the _American_ Embassy?"

"My parents were diplomats for several years to Australia, that's where they adopted _me_ from. I grew up in foster care over there."

"Oh. Where is your father now?"

"He was killed a few years ago." Jenna answered. "After that, my Mom and I moved back state-side full time, and she took a position over here."

"Then when did _you_ meet the turtles?"

"When I was seventeen years old, I came to the US for the first time with my parents. My family had been targeted by a particularly unfriendly terrorist cell, and I ended up getting abducted right out of a museum, while they were in one of their meetings. Donatello saved my life." She finished a little wistfully.

"Are the two of you...involved?" Karina ventured.

"_Yes_." Jenna replied, her very tone _daring_ the woman to disparage him in someway.

"I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be offensive. I'm just wanting to wrap my head around this somehow. How does it work?"

"I love_ him_, and he loves _me_. We've been married for a couple of years, all symbolic of course."

Karina was seriously confused. "But you're a _human_."

"I get that they _look_ a lot like animals to you Karina, but that's not really who they _are_. They're compassionate, powerful, rational beings, and if you get a chance to actually_ know _them, you'll end up being just as captured by them as the rest of us are. As strange as it might look to you, Donatello is the best thing that ever happened to me. If you knew him, the way _I_ do, you'd understand. You would realize _I'm_ the lucky one here." Jenna broke off suddenly, trying to stem the tears that were rising. "The intensity of the trials they've faced is staggering. But they've stood strong, they've made it through together. Losing Raphael this way is like...it's like losing a literal part of the body. They're a team, when one of them is hurt or missing...they're incomplete."

There was a knock at the door, and Jenna quickly rose to get it. Marcus was waiting a little breathlessly on the other side, having not even taken the time to change out of his scrubs.

"I _got _your message Jen, what's going on?" He demanded as she let him inside.

"Marcus, come here for a minute and meet Karina first, then I'll explain everything." Jenna told him.

The man laid eyes on the strange woman, obviously a little confused.

"Marc, this is Kat's younger sister." Jenna said, and then looked at Karina. "This is Marcus Sloan, he's the doctor that I was telling you about."

"Then he knows about them too?" Karina spoke up.

"I know about _who_ too?" Marc said automatically.

"She's_ seen _them Marc." Jenna answered with slight exasperation. "Just sit down, will you? We've got a few things to go through."

* * *

Marcus seemed just as devastated by the news as Jenna had been.

"I don't _believe_ this!" He said, after a few moments of tense silence. "We've been walking around here with _blinders_ on, thinking everything could just go back to being normal. How much do they know Jenna? If they had that house bugged, how are any of us safe? We've _all_ been there in the last few weeks. Stolle has to know that we exist. It's a pity they couldn't have just _dealt_ with all of them months ago!"

"There was _nothing_ more the guys could have done to Vale's people, not honorably." Jenna said quietly.

"What does that mean?" Karina asked.

"It means that the turtles don't use deadly force, unless they have no other choice." Marcus said bitterly. "The most we could do was leave those men behind, for the police to finish them up. And now, to our _great _surprise, we find out that some of them slipped through that net! _Darn it_! Don't you realize how much worse this _could_ have been? What does Kat know, has she been filled in completely?"

"She has by now I'm sure, Luke would have called her to tell her what they found in Airmont." Jenna replied, running her hand through her dark hair in an anxious gesture.

"And what about you?" Marcus asked bluntly, turning to look at Karina. "I _know_ you didn't ask for any of this, but you're not going to talk, are you?"

Karina had been listening to their exchange silently, and now sat up a bit further.

"I _told_ Kat that I wouldn't, and I'm not a liar. What do you people intend to do with me in the meantime?"

"We're not doing _anything_ with you Karina - you came here by your own choice, remember?" Jenna pointed out. "I know this situation isn't exactly fair to you, but your sister will be home soon, and she can fill in a lot of the gaps that you're missing. If you really want to leave, the door is right there. We're not holding you prisoner, as much as we'd love the assurance that you won't do anything to hurt our friends."

Karina looked at the front door, as if considering her options. She really only thought about leaving for a couple of seconds, before turning to face Jenna again. "I can't walk away - not knowing what I_ do _know, _and_ what I don't. They're really not dangerous, are they?"

"Not without good reason." Marcus told her. "In the right situation, they're _absolutely_ dangerous. But to someone like you or me...they constantly put their lives and limbs on the line, just to protect people like us."

"And they're not killers." Karina verified.

"_No_ Karina." Jenna said flatly. "Honestly, Kat's probably killed more people out of necessity in her career than all four of _them_ put together. They're protectors, that's how they function." Jenna released a very deep sigh. "Though I can't say for certain how they'll respond when they catch up with Stolle."


	16. Gloves Come Off

*** I hope you left your shot gun locked up.**

* * *

When Raphael woke up again, his thirst was absolutely raging, and he felt even colder than before. He opened his eyes, almost afraid of what he might see. But no, he was alone for the moment. There were no windows in the room to let in natural light, or give him any clue about the passage of time. He had no idea if he'd been asleep for twelve hours or two. He didn't feel any better for it, regardless.

Raphael craned his neck somewhat painfully, trying to make out a little more detail about the room.

_Shell. It looks like some kind of Lab. I wonder where everybody is - __not__ that I'm desperate to catch up with them or anything._

He was just starting to wonder why they weren't keeping a closer eye on him, when he heard a door pop open on the other end of the room.

"Good morning Sleeping Beauty." Stolle said a little mockingly. "I was beginning to wonder when you'd come around again."

_So sorry to keep you waiting_, he thought sarcastically. _He must be watching this room somehow._

"I actually have something hot for you." Stolle said, the friendly tone coming out of his voice again.

Raphael stared him down as he approached with a flask in hand.

"Be a good boy now, and drink it all up." The man encouraged.

The soup was almost unpalatably salty, but it may as well have been nectar from the gods as far as Raphael was concerned. He had a feeling that the kind overtures weren't going to last, and that he should take everything that he could _get_ in the meantime. Swallowing his pride massively, he met Stolle's gaze again, and made a request.

"Water?"

"I believe that could be arranged, for a price." Stolle said maddeningly, as he set aside the now empty flask he'd brought in with him. "I thought we could pick up from where we left off yesterday."

_You mean right from where I had no idea what you were talking about?_

"I'm curious as to how much involvement you really have with the FBI." Stolle said, as casually as if he were having a normal every-day conversation with the turtle. "It's clear that they track your every move through that device that was implanted in your arm. But do you work for them _directly_, or is this something you've been forced into Raphael?"

_Even if I knew, I'm sure I couldn't tell you._

Raphael stared at him placidly, without making a response of any kind.

"I will grow weary of your silence_ very _quickly Raphael." Stolle warned him. "Please don't misunderstand my holding back on you for the moment. That will not continue to be the case, should you choose to remain uncooperative."

When Raphael still didn't respond or react to him, Stolle shook his head sternly.

_It really makes no difference whether you talk to me or not turtle, you're __still__ going to help me. Months of observation have now come down to this point - the hands on portion. So you can play the part of the insubordinate prisoner, and I'll happily push you to the very brink and beyond if I need to. I hardly even need you alive, so long as I simply have your tracking device._

Stolle turned away from Raphael, and walked out of the room to retrieve something. The turtle waited uncomfortably for him to return, fidgeting with what slight movement he could manage within the restraints. About ten minutes later Stolle came back, with a pitcher in hand this time.

The man came over to Raphael, lightly resting a hand under the back of his neck. Without a spoken word of warning, he dashed the entirety of the pitcher of ice water over his face and chest, immensely enjoying the gasp the cold shock elicited from the creature.

"Still thirsty turtle?" Stolle taunted, and Raphael snarled with anger, his teeth coming dangerously close to the man's wrist.

Stolle's fist plowed directly into his cheek, sending shock-waves through his skull from his _previous_ head injury.

"I've been getting some instruction Raphael." Stolle said with some amusement. "I'm nowhere near as helpless as I used to be, outside of my own technology. It still remains my preferred method of dealing with subjects however."

Raphael shivered violently, his gaze pursing the man as he temporarily left his line of vision again.

"These last few minutes have led me to believe that you could be _quite_ strong enough for me to proceed with you already." Stolle said as he reappeared at his side, a small device in his hand. "Your brothers probably told you about this machine. In a way, it is only a variant on a taser, but this particular creation is of my _own_ design. The ones already on the market have built in fail-safes, to prevent the voltage from getting out of control. I don't like being limited in such a fashion, so I took the time to make my own, which would expend the amount of energy of my choosing."

The man rested cool metal barbs against his injured shoulder. "Our bodies have some natural tolerance for electricity, but when your skin gets wet, much of that resistance is stripped away."

Something in the man's words rang dreadfully familiar, though Raphael couldn't figure out _why_. He held his breath and didn't flinch so much as a muscle, as he fully expected Stolle to punch the button. Interestingly, Stolle withdrew the device after a few seconds.

"There's plenty of time for me to have fun _later _though. I feel rather sorry for my men, they've been waiting so long to catch up with you. Since you seem to be feeling up to par, I'll go ahead and arrange your meeting. Don't you go anywhere now." Stolle laughed a little maniacally, pressing down on his injured shoulder with more force than before.

_SHELL. _

Instant dread seized Raphael as the man disappeared from his sight again, and then he immediately tried to latch onto the familiarity of Stolle's phrase again.

_He...he said water lowers...resistance? Where've I heard that before? Why can I just __remember__?_

His breathing was getting too fast again, and he struggled to get it back under control.

_I suppose I could make up something to tell him, but I don't even know where to start. Darn it, he knows more about me and my brothers than I do! I don't know how to make this work, or get him to believe a word I say._

He shut his eyes for a long moment.

_He wants to hear about the FBI - so would I for that matter. Did the government create me, or are they just __using__ me? How many people even know that I exist?_

The questions were starting to rise faster now, as his heart rate increased rapidly. He ended up deciding to shut them down entirely.

_Just be quiet for a minute, will you? You're not gonna figure out anything this way. Try to relax, and maybe it will come to you naturally. Maybe you'll remember things on your own. Keep your eyes and ears open - there has to be something else familiar about this guy._

Another five minutes of silent waiting passed before Stolle returned to the room, and he wasn't alone this time. The man came to greet him again, and slowly started unbuckling the restraints from his limbs.

"Raphael, you might remember some of these gentlemen. They were all a part of Morello's team, and I believe that they all feel like they have a bone to pick with you."

Raphael was not at all happy to see Williams again, much less flanked by two more men that seemed no more happy to see _him_.

Stolle stepped lightly out of the way. "As promised gentlemen, he's all yours for the next half hour. Make whatever mess you want, but remember that I still want him _breathing_ for the time being."

The two man standing behind Williams approached as Stolle moved, drawing the turtle roughly to his feet. His legs weren't about to support him, and he cursed the weakened limbs as they held him helplessly in a firm grasp. Fear coursed through his mind like an electric shock, but he wouldn't give Williams the satisfaction of seeing it, and faced the monstrosity of a man coolly.

_You're not gonna get me recoil._

"You don't realize how many nights I've dreamed about this moment," The man said dangerously. "But I don't want to waste time chatting right now, not when there's so much better things to be doing."

His fist bore so heavily into Raphael's plastron, that the two men holding him on either side could barely keep a grip on him.

"You'll have to do better than that." Williams chided the two of them, as Raphael tried to breathe again.

Williams held his hand up in front of Raphael's face, so the turtle could see the brass knuckles he was brandishing.

"Y'know, I used this _exact _same pair on your younger brother...Michelangelo, I think it was. It seemed only fitting that I pull them back out for _you_."

The man followed the blow up with a combination that included_ both _fists this time. He drove one after another into Raphael's rib-cage, not giving the turtle time to manage a single breath.

Even the iron grips of the man that twisted his arms were getting to him, particularly the moron on his _right_. He slumped further and further down in their grasp, as Williams beat his body mercilessly. He didn't even have the energy to prevent himself from crying out, each and every time that the man hit him now.

As minutes passed, the man's focus moved away from his chest area, and he struck a particularly vicious grip around Raphael's neck, leaning in close to whisper to him.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance." He told the turtle. "Your _cowardice_ is going to cost you dearly."

He hit Raphael squarely in the chin, forcing his head back upright when it lolled to the side.

"It's only been fifteen minutes turtle. Is that all the stronger you are?" Williams taunted, landing another shattering punch in between his eyes.

The turtle went completely slack in his captor's arms, and they let him fall like a sack into his own blood on the floor.

"Oh well." Williams said dismissively. "I suppose we'll just have to pick up from where we left off."


	17. The Club

When the turtles arrived back in New York, it was decided that the_ entire _base of their operation should be moved underground. Donatello and Greg had started making their individual inroads on two separate laptops in the Lab. While Greg was sifting through piles of profiles and records looking for any sign of Stolle in the FBI databases, Donatello was practically taking Blackford's computer _apart _in his quest for their communications.

Donnie had found a series of e-mail exchanges, but none of the text had given him a clue as to where Stolle could physically be _now_. The bounty hunter hadn't been lying - Stolle didn't appear to have revealed anything personal to him, not even his reason for_ wanting _the turtles to begin with. The only often repeated theme in his e-mails was that he wanted them captured _alive_, or there was no deal.

Donatello leaned back in the desk chair for a long weary moment, rubbing his eyes. He'd only gotten a couple of hours sleep, and even that was only at Luke's insistence. It had been so hard to lay in that bed at all, knowing that his brother was out there somewhere, in the worst trouble of his life.

Greg was experiencing issues of his own, finding very little to go on in the FBI records as far as Stolle was concerned. There had been a couple of immediate returns of criminal activity, but they were more than a decade old. What he _wasn't_ finding was anything that could serve as a link to his current location or dealings.

After a few hours of digging through old news, he decided to widen the search grid using the social security number in connection with the name in a broadened database._ It just might be that something from your past will leap out at me - it's certainly worked before, _Greg encouraged himself.

With renewed fervor, he typed the numbers into the national registry, fully expecting to get some kind of a hit off of an old job or past residence. After a couple of minutes of loading a message popped up on the screen, and he was a little hopeful. He bent in closer to read the text, and then swiftly double-checked the_ date _included with the profile. He let out a mighty swear, just as Michelangelo was poking his head into the doorway of the Lab.

"Is that supposed to be a good thing, or a bad thing?" Mike asked.

"The Isaac Stolle who belongs to this social security number is _dead_." Greg said flatly.

"What, he died?" Mike shot back, coming quickly over towards him, as Donnie joined him from the other side.

"No Mikey, he's _been _dead, almost ten years. I'm either on the completely wrong trail here, or _Stolle_ isn't really Stolle."

* * *

Katherine met her sister with some apprehension at Victoria's condo, reading the hurt in her eyes the minute she stepped through the door.

"Kari...I'm sorry. I _couldn't_ reveal this part of my life to you. You have to understand how difficult it would have been."

"I don't even feel like I'm your sister Kat. You've got this whole other existence, this other world that I don't know anything about." Karina told her, and then broke eye contact. "But you're not the only one with secrets, so I don't rightfully see how I can stay angry with you. This brother of their's, he's really in trouble, isn't he?"

"It's a very serious situation." Katherine acknowledged, her own emotion threatening to rise. "Karina, you need to understand that they're _good_, they really are. I owe them my life, and Luke..."

"Yes, I know all about it Kat, I've been talking with your _friends_, your family, whatever you wanna call them."

"I never wanted to shut you out Karina."

"It's not all _your_ fault." She replied evenly. "I've been doing the same thing with _you_ for the last five years. I need to talk to you, but now hardly seems like the appropriate time for it."

"Karina, I need to rendevous with everyone else, Greg and I have a tremendous amount of work to do. Obviously I can't go home, and the others are already underground anyway."

"_Underground_?"

"That's where they live Kari. I need to get down there, and I guess...I wanted to know if you would come with me."

The woman's green eyes had rarely looked so startled. "You want me to go with you? But I thought you didn't really trust me to--"

"You already know about them Karina, it's a little pointless to be hiding things from you now. They really need my help, but it's clear that the two of us need to reconnect too. I talked to them about it, and they left it up to my judgement. You don't have to come with me, but I really wish that you would."

"Then does that mean you _do_ trust me? You're not just trying to humor me here or something?"

"This is me _and_ them letting you in Karina. I need to lay low for my own safety...and I _want_ you with me. Will you come?"

"They're not gonna try to give me some drug, so that I forget all about it later?"

"Kari, Luke did that before he even_ knew _me. He was just trying to protect them, and me at the same time. This isn't a trick or a game. C'mon...you _know_ I wouldn't do that to you."

The distrust in her _own_ green eyes was faltering slightly, as she took a step towards Katherine.

"Yes, I've been hiding a lot of things from you Karina." Kat allowed. "But I'm still your sister, the same woman I've been my whole life."

"What about _Brandon_ Kat? Are you going to leave _him_ in the dark forever?"

Katherine sighed heavily. "I don't even want to think about it right now. Will you come with me?" She repeated again.

After another beat of hesitation, the woman nodded.

* * *

About an hour later, Mike met Katherine, Karina, Jenna, April, and Marcus near the van entrance, with a Slider to take them all back to the Den. It was clear that he was still a little edgy around Karina, not entirely certain that she wouldn't go off on him again. When she noticed his careful avoidance of her gaze, she ventured a little closer to him in the Slider.

"We got off to a bad start." She said. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. _And_ for calling you a demon."

"Is _that_ what you said? I don't see how I could have expected any different. You were just minding your own business, not really prepared to meet a mutant turtle. I'm sorry that I scared you. Are you...um....are you okay with us _now_?"

"I wouldn't be down here if I didn't believe that you were okay. My sister is no dummy, and if she trusts you...I really don't see what I have to be frightened of."

He managed a smile for her, but she could tell that it was extremely forced.

"I'm sorry about your brother Michelangelo. I hope that Kat and Greg can help you find him."

His smile was slightly more genuine now. "You can call me Mike, no sense in standing on airs around me. We're gettin' _all _of our geniuses together now, I just know we're gonna come up with something."

* * *

Jenna went immediately to Donatello's side when she walked through the door, meeting him in a swift embrace.

"How are you doing?" She asked. "How is everything going?"

He shrugged tiredly. "Still trying to get somewhere. Did you hear? Isaac Stolle is dead."

"What do you _mean_ he's dead? What about Raph?"

"I mean that the guy we're chasing is probably only using his identity. God only knows how many other pseudo names he might be running under. It's like being back at square one!"

"Donnie," She said softly, taking his chin in both of her hands. "You're upset, you have every right to be. But your brothers and all of us, we need you. Don't let yourself get completely discouraged. Did you get any sleep? You don't look like it."

"I tried Jen, but it was almost impossible to settle down."

"You've got to remedy that situation, or you'll be no good to anyone."

* * *

Leonardo took charge of showing Karina around a little bit, while the rest of the humans were being brought up to speed.

"So you're the oldest." She stated, though she meant it more in a questioning form. "Are you in charge of things down here?"

"Sort of, though I wouldn't really put it that way. Since our Sensei has been gone, we've still tried to keep things pretty balanced."

"Your Sensei?"

"Our father. He died a couple of years ago. He was the _real_ strength of this clan, none of us would exist today without him."

"Was he...like you?"

He smiled slightly. "His mutation was different from ours...he couldn't walk around in broad daylight any easier than we can. He raised us, instilled in us every skill and sense of honor that we still operate under today."

"He was a good father?" She asked softly, and Leonardo nodded, obviously still a little emotional.

"We couldn't have asked for a better father, or teacher."

"I didn't know how it would feel, meeting all of you again." Karina said thoughtfully. "I didn't expect to be_ jealous_."

"Because of Kat you mean? You know your sister loves you Karina." Leonardo told her firmly.

"It isn't only that, though that part _does_ still sting. You're lucky you had a good father. Sometimes, I wonder how differently my life would have turned out...could have turned out, if I'd ever really _known_ mine."


	18. Hunter

_Sunlight filtered through the canopy of trees, casting stray patches of brilliance across the forest floor. Ever color seemed more vivid than normal, the reds, oranges, and yellows of changing leaves surrounding him on every side. There was a moderate wind disturbing the branches, loosing leaves free from their perches even as he walked silently among them._

_He wandered in and out among the trees with absolutely no concept of the passage of time. There was something so familiar, so comfortable about this setting, though he didn't really know why that was. He was climbing now, picking his way among rocks and tree roots as he ascended the incline. The physical exertion of the exercise was almost as enjoyable as the mere freedom of movement. With every foot that he climbed, he felt like he was breathing easier. _

_As he reached the top of the hill, his breath caught in his chest at the sight of the surrounding country. Mountains stretched as far as his eye could see, and the valley beneath them was vibrant and alive, still green despite the obvious transition of seasons taking place around him. A clear river cut a path straight through it, the unobstructed sunlight catching off the surface of the water._

_This entire time he hadn't been thinking or straining in the least, simply drinking in the presence of his surroundings. He was satisfied to remain where he was on the hill-top now, just to have a moment of peace. He lowered himself to the ground so that he was sitting cross-legged in the cool grass, and unconsciously ran his fingers through it._

_The warmth of the sun above him caused him to relax even more, and he started to lean back completely out of the seated position. As he closed his eyes, he felt an odd tingling sensation over the surface of his skin, and a surge of awareness in his mind that completely surprised him._

_**Raphael.**_

_He sat up with a jerk, utterly startled by where the voice had come from. The motion had broken the delicate contact, and there was no immediate hope of it returning. He breathed a little harder, as confusion threatened to fill his mind again._

_What was that? What is this place anyway? How can it feel so familiar, so safe?_

_He was just starting to partially relax again, back to a place where his mind was at rest. He exhaled slowly, leaning backwards over the earth a second time. He relished every sensation surrounding him, wishing he could stay this calm forever, where nothing seemed to matter..._

_

* * *

_

A jab of pain in his chest rudely interrupted the vision, and his eyes snapped open to see Stolle working over him again. As his vision sharpened further, he cast a seething glare at the man. Stolle merely smiled, and continued wrapping his rib cage.

"_Why_ are you bothering?" The turtle growled angrily.

"We've been _through_ this Raphael. If you don't have anything meaningful to say, you could just try giving your jaws a rest."

_Funny, I could say the same thing to __you__. Why couldn't I just have stayed out of it longer?_

Raphael strongly desired to make some snide remark out loud, but realized that it probably wouldn't be _worth _the repercussions. Silence could possibly still his friend for awhile yet. He reverted his gaze to the ceiling, intentionally ignoring Stolle while the man was patching new injuries, with not entirely the most care he could have used.

Raphael clenched his teeth a couple of times with a slight hiss, refusing to give the man any kind of pleasure from his pain. But the throbbing in his forehead was starting to increase again, making Raphael wish desperately for some real relief. _That _and water - water would be incredible. He glanced back at Stolle finally as the man was cutting a strip of gauze, actually considering trying to ask for a drink again.

_Somehow, I'm not sure how that would go over._

He decided to keep his mouth shut. It seemed like he could be dealing with the semi-_sane_ version of Stolle at the moment, and he rather didn't want to jinx it. But the when the man's hand grazed his chin, it made his skin crawl with disgust. He shot him another dirty look, which made Stolle laugh openly at him.

"You_ like _your personal space, don't you turtle?" He said smugly. "I'd think someone like _you_ would be used to this. You can't tell me that I'm the first human to ever probe you in this fashion. All I'm doing right _now_ is helping you."

_Yeah, so you can hurt me some more. Don't you dare try to make me think of you like an actual human being._

"It doesn't have to _be_ this difficult you know. It doesn't _have_ to be hard at all. All I'm looking for is a little information Raphael, just an ounce of prevention."

_And of course, you're back to sounding loopy._

The look in Raphael's amber eyes completely gave away what the turtle was thinking. Stolle put down his scissors, and pulled over a desk chair to sit down beside the turtle for a moment.

"People have looked at me that way for my entire life Raphael. It used to bother me, but I know better now. It doesn't matter anymore what they think of me, so long as _I_ know the truth. That _is _what this is all about of course."

Raphael sensed that the man wanted him to question what he really meant, but resisted the urge to say a word out loud to him.

"Of anyone I've ever known Raphael,_ you _should understand me."

The turtle's eyes flicked back to him instantly. "How do you figure?"

"Was there ever a time in your life when you felt absolutely safe? When you weren't looking over your shoulder, wondering who was watching you?"

Raphael barely raised his left shoulder in a shrug._ If you can't beat it out of me, do you think you'll get it in normal conversation?_

"I learned a lot of lessons the hard way, very early on in life. It was made clear to me that the powers at be _love_ to use people - to milk them for all that they're worth. Then when they've been completely _spent_ and have absolutely nothing left, they go for the jugular. Haven't you ever wondered how many atrocities are actually covered up, under so called 'classified' acts? But then a creature like you probably doesn't _have_ to wonder - you've been on the front lines of it, haven't you?

It wouldn't have lasted forever you know. Even if you're actually a golden boy to them for right now, the day would have come when they were finished with you. Someone with as much knowledge and skills as you have, there's no way they could have risked keeping you alive indefinitely."

"_Why_ are you so sure I'm tied in with the government?" Raphael asked finally.

"When facts point in a singular direction, it's only natural to assume that there is a good reason for it. I don't believe that things happen by chance or by accident Raphael. That being said, we still can't help the family we're born into, the country of our origin. No more than _you_ asked to be what you are, did you? But rather than being a victim of circumstance, I choose to rise above it. I chose to fight back."

"Who are you fighting?" Raphael asked tiredly. "Me? Is that what this is _really_ about?"

"You are actually quite insignificant in the scheme of the war Raphael, little more than a means to an end at this moment. You can't tell me you've never felt that way before, what with your FBI dealings. You don't really believe those people care about _you_."

_This guy just circles and circles. I keep hoping he'll come up with something that makes some shred of sense, but I'm really coming up empty here._

"I know how it feels to be used that way." Stolle continued. "That's exactly how Vale treated me. But it was only_ through _that man that I learned where my potential could take me. He taught me that I didn't have to hide, that it actually does very little good. When you're being stalked by a larger creature, you can choose to simply lie down and wait to die at their hands. Or _you_ can become the Hunter. With the right information, the right tools at your disposal, _anyone_ can be overcome.

For most of my life I hid in fear, dreading the day I would be hauled off like my father was. Vale opened a new realm of possibilities for me, it was like...having some _ounce_ of strength, for the first time in my life. I owe a lot to that man. In many ways, he's responsible for who I've become today."

_What I wouldn't give to catch __him__ in a dark alley._

"I was just a victim back then, and look at how far I've come now. The ultimate in irony, wouldn't you say? The _hunted_ becomes the _Hunter_."


	19. Background

"Well, I think that our next step is pretty clear." Katherine said, as soon as the whole group was gathered around the living room. Karina was the only one who sat off to the side and behind them, merely listening to what was happening.

"Please, do tell." Leonardo said with a slight sigh. "It sort of felt like we hit a brick wall."

"We're not even _close_ to being out of options Leo." Kat responded. "I've got a friend over at the County lock-up, who owes me a huge favor. I'm thinking it might be time to go pay some of Vale's men a visit."

Greg nodded at that. "_Yes_...somebody's gotta be pretty ticked off by now that Stolle's as free as a bird, while they're waiting for their trials. Visiting hours are long over with James, how _big_ of a favor does this guy owe you?"

"Let me make a phone call, and see where I stand. I'll be back." Katherine replied, and disappeared into the kitchen.

As she left, Donatello's gaze shifted in the direction of the Lab. "The truth is, I haven't exhausted _every_ option with Blackford's laptop either. I've only been thinking of it in terms of finding information that already exists on it thus far."

"How do you find information that _doesn't _exist?" Mike asked.

"It's not like Stolle just up and vanished into thin air without a trace." Donatello replied. "Through the bounty hunter's laptop, I still have a way to actually get into contact with the man, through what he considered the most secure method at his disposal. His e-mail address."

"Can you trace it Donnie?" Luke asked hopefully.

"That was one of the first things that I tried." Donatello said rather apologetically. "He's got that thing re-routed through so many different servers, it could take me a _month_ to track. I don't know about _you _guys, but I don't want to wait that long."

"Then what have you got in your head?" Marcus wondered aloud. "Are you just gonna e-mail him, ask him where he is?"

Donatello laughed. "If only it was that easy Marc. No, unfortunately it's going to require me to go down a rather ugly pathway, that I don't have a tremendous amount of experience in. Doesn't mean I won't go for it."

"Exactly_ what _are you talking about?" April asked him, noticing the slight grimace of disgust that talking about this subject raised in him.

"The goal, in theory, would be to get an infected e-mail into Stolle's hands, acting like it's coming from Blackford. If he thinks the bounty hunter is the source, he should be willing to open the message. But without knowing what kind of security measures and protection he already has in place...I have a feeling it's going to take a real doozy of a piece of software to infiltrate him." The turtle released a deep breath. "But if I can establish something undetected...it's likely that I could get some control over his network, without having to go around the long way."

"Are you referring to some kind of malware?" April pressed a little further.

"Yeah, I_ know_." He said with another grimace. "I usually make the bucks _protecting_ companies from junk like this. But like Greg said, desperate times, call for certain measures. I guess I'd better get to work."

* * *

It was after 9pm by the time that Kat and Greg had made it over to the County Jail, and they didn't have to wait very long for her contact to show up.

"There had better be a_ heck _of a good reason for this James." The man grumbled as he climbed out of his car. "You know it's against policy for me to let you in here at this hour at all. I don't see why it couldn't have waited until morning."

"We're dealing with a _very_ time sensitive case Petey. I _really_ appreciate this." The woman replied swiftly.

The man dropped his keys in his pocket with a grunt. "Okay, we're all here now anyway. Who on earth do you wanna talk to so bad?"

"I was hoping you could help me with some juicy gossip there Pete. I'm looking for the most ticked off son of gun related to the Morello case, someone who's just ready to cave. Do you have anybody like that?"

"Might have. I'll take a look over the incident reports, see what I can come up with for you James."

* * *

While Pete had gone to retrieve someone a few minutes later, Katherine took the moment to pull Greg aside again.

"You understand what I need you to do,_ right_?" She said pointedly.

"Yeah, _you_ do all the talking, and I sit outside and do all the _watching_." He muttered.

"Hey, you already _had_ your turn Greg. It's going to be hard enough getting anything out of him period, much less with having two of us attack him at once. Besides, I need you to--"

"I know James. I'll be listening, see if I can get any verification on the information. You sure you don't want me to talk to him?"

"On our own turf, I'd be happy to. But this situation calls more for persuasion than it does_ threatening_, wouldn't you agree? Let me handle this. You _know_ that I can get it out of him."

He nodded. "Go ahead and knock him dead James. I'll get my laptop set up on this end."

* * *

Katherine was already waiting inside the room, when Pete brought a rather sullen looking individual to sit down at the table.

"You want me to stay Agent?" Pete asked, giving the prisoner a suspicious once over. The man was still hand-cuffed, but that did little to ease his mind.

"I'll be fine Pete. I prefer my privacy." She answered lightly.

The man in the orange jumpsuit said something unrepeatable, shooting Katherine with what he deemed was a very dangerous stare. "So would I babe, but basic human rights don't apply to those of us behind bars."

Katherine held his gaze, smiling somewhat non-chalantly. "Richard Morgan. Or do they call you Rick?"

"Bat those eyelashes a few times, you can call me whatever you want honey. I suppose I should be grateful for the change in scenery, but I'm _more_ interested to know why you had me dragged out of my cell after lights out. Can't help the feeling this is just another attempt to get something out of me.

Let's not beat around the bush, huh? I'm gonna tell you the same thing I say to every other joker who pulls me into this room. Behind these walls _and_ outside of them, _singers_ have never been known to last very long. I ain't got nothing to say to you. But if you're looking to be satisfied in some _other_ way, I'd be more than happy to oblige."

She hardly blinked an eye. "As tempting as that sounds, I'm just here to talk."

The man shook his head at her. "Don't waste my time babe. I told you I've got _nothing_ to say to you."

"Justice is a funny thing, isn't it Morgan? Me personally, I'm glad to see you behind bars. You're only getting what you deserve, and I should be happy right? The truth is, I'm not. Where_ is_ the justice when some people are punished for their crimes, while equal partners get to roam free?"

Morgan smiled slightly, and looked away from her. "We all get dealt certain hands I suppose. Some of us are just luckier than others...for awhile anyway."

"I'm a firm believer that not everything in life comes down to _luck_ Morgan. Some of it is planned, prepared for years in advance. When you're dealing with criminals, you have to expect that. Even when you're settled into working as a team, eventually, it will all come back to being every man for himself. You've experienced that trend, haven't you? Very recently I would think."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't you? Perhaps not...Vale _was_ a master manipulator after all. He had his own agenda right from the start, and unfortunately for you, _most_ of you...his plans didn't include everyone."

Morgan said nothing, but she could tell she had his attention.

"Isaac now, he was another story, wasn't he? Stolle was Vale's 'go to' man on so many issues, it was only natural for them to be partnered that way. That much money at stake, it stands to reason that Vale wanted as few hands in the pot as possible. Do you follow me Morgan?"

"I don't." He said stubbornly.

"Don''t you find it rather _convenient_ that Stolle escaped at all, leaving behind only the dead bodies of his co-conspirators?"

Morgan eyed her suspiciously.

"Lemme lay this all out for you. A mysterious 'rescuer' shows up, on Stolle's watch...and he _is_ the one who always insisted on watching the cameras most of the time, wasn't he?"

"Night and day." Morgan mumbled.

"How does somebody just _slip_ past two dozen cameras Morgan?"

The man stared at her for a long moment. "Are you sayin' that–"

"I'm saying the theory goes that Stolle didn't want to _share_ a portion - he wanted control of the pot. The only way to do that was to get Vale effectively out of the way, and Derik at the same time. It's interesting isn't it, that the bullet we pulled out of Vale was a match to his own gun? But then you come upstairs to Derik and Dalfour, and we find the physical evidence, the bullets and casings, were completely removed."

Morgan broke into a tirade of cursing that was longer than almost any Kat had ever heard, but the woman wasn't phased one bit.

"That _rotten_ bastard _let _them through, then left all of us behind to take the fall for everything?" Morgan demanded.

"It seems that's pretty much how it went Morgan. Stolle played things very smart. We now know that he was using an assumed identity. With the head start that he already has, and a solid list of aliases to hide behind, we're finding ourselves at a distinct disadvantage. He's out there right now, with more money than he knows what to do with. It really is a shame he was so paranoid, always hid everything so well."

Morgan laughed bitterly. "Yeah, sure, he was shut up good and tight most of the time. 'Course we liked to have some _fun_ with him occasionally - never met a man who couldn't hold his liquor more than that one." He met Katherine's gaze again, a smile playing on his lips. "He would forever rant on about his _daddy_ in the special forces, who got falsely set up for some junk. Most of the time I thought he sounded _more_ insane under the bottle, but he did have these almost lucid moments that would kick in for a little while, before he was stone drunk. He used to go on about the marvelous plans he had, and how he was going to make everything right. The guys had a running bet about him becoming the next uni-bomber." Morgan snickered to himself, and then focused on Kat again.

"He bragged about his secret identity a few times, never mentioned that there was more than one. One night he told me his real name was Eric Greene." Morgan told her.

* * *

Katherine spent a few more minutes with Morgan, simply biding her time and waiting for that knock at the door. About twenty minutes later, it finally came.

Kat excused herself from the table, and darted outside the door to talk to Greg. "Well?"

"I'm officially going to have to bow down and kiss the feet of the Queen of Bull. That was a thing of beauty James."

"Did you find something or not?"

"It seems like he's on the level. I looked up the old man Greene, he was some kind of a Special Ops' character who went horribly wrong, ended up being a traitor to his own country. Got hauled off like thirty years ago, left behind an eight year old son. Mother had already passed away some five years previous to that, kid ended up as a ward of the state. Eric entered IT at seventeen...finished a four year program in two.

This guy lived off of the grid for the most part, no credit cards, no paper trails, and no outstanding crimes to his record. There were a few hits off some residences, and odd job here or there...all leading up to about three years ago. Then Greene seemed to drop out of all knowledge entirely, that is until late this Spring. He made a rather sizeable purchase, a building on the lower east side. I think it would be worth checking out, don't you?"

Katherine couldn't contain her grin.


	20. Breaking

*** DEEP breath okay? I promise that this chapter is as bad as it's going to get for Raphael. It's all downhill from here for him.**

* * *

In between Stolle's intermittent visits over the last hours, Raphael had done his best to get as much sleep as he possibly could. The constant striving for some kind of memory made his head hurt more than it already did. Besides, that way he wouldn't have to think about how hungry or thirsty he was. The insatiable thirst was worse than anything else at this point. He'd been adjusting little by little to the constant headache that had never really gone away, but he hadn't figured out any tricks to distract his mind from the fact that he would do just about_ anything _for a drink at this point.

Stolle had been watching him even more closely on the monitors for the last couple of hours, reading further into the turtle's actual condition.

_He might be exactly where I need him in order to try this out most effectively._

The man had a feeling that something more was being waged internally with the creature, than he had outwardly portrayed to this point. He curiously got to his feet, picking up both a penlight and _another_ device that he'd been giving a lot of attention to over the course of the last few months.

As he returned to the lab and approached Raphael, the turtle either didn't hear him coming, or wouldn't acknowledge him. Raphael still didn't so much as stir one iota from his supposed catatonic state, as Stolle began to physically check his vital signs.

_Pulse is slightly irregular, and his breathing is more shallow. Let's have a look at those interesting eyes._

It was only when Stolle took a firm hold of his chin that Raphael seemed to snap to attention, trying to pull away from him.

"I just need to see something Raphael." Stolle said quite calmly, and proceeded to peer into the turtle's dilated pupils with his light, until Raphael growled at him.

"You _are_ still alive in there, aren't you?" Stolle said impishly, shutting off the light. _Though for how much __longer__ is the real question. He's going into shock - there's never been a better time to go ahead than right now._

"Look over here for a moment Raphael, I want to show you something."

When the turtle made no attempt to move, Stolle forcefully jerked his head in the direction that he wanted it to go.

"You've already seen my own version of a taser Raphael. It's actually quite useful at stopping one of you in your tracks, because of the uncontrollable muscle contractions, not to mention the effect it can take over your organs. The resulting 'stun' can last anywhere from five minutes to two hours, depending on the wattage and length of contact applied. Electricity has always been one of my favorite methods for overcoming someone, because it so _easily_ puts the power in the hand of the wielder. It doesn't matter how strong you are, no one can resist its' effects. I'm sure Leonardo and Michelangelo attested to that, didn't they?"

_Do I __have__ to hear the lecture first? If this is about pain, just get to the hurting already so that I can have some hope of escaping this place for awhile._

"But that isn't what I want to show you tonight Raphael." Stolle came back in. "I have something _else_, something special I've been working on over the course of the last few months, with a _certain_ turtle in mind. I've tested it on a couple of humans to good success, but I'm all the _more_ thrilled to have the opportunity to try it on someone with the same physiology as my_ intended _target."

Raphael couldn't control his amber gaze from widening slightly, as the man bent slightly over his frame.

"It's called an electrocauterizer. Doctors have actually been using them in conjunction with surgery for quite a long time Raphael. They're meant to help control bleeding, destroy dead tissue, that sort of thing. They use lasers that are operating under a very high frequency, to minimize the amount of internal damage that could occur beyond the specific areas that need to be hit.

I took cues from some of the technology that was already in existence, but of course I had to tweak it for my own purposes. I operate under a much _lower_ frequency, as I've already told you, I don't appreciate imposed limitations. I've also programmed it with a higher wattage output than any _responsible_ doctor would ever use.

It's a rather beautiful tool in it's simplicity, the way it can travel through the skin, without causing real harm to the epidermis layer. My actual intention with this device isn't to cause _permanent_ damage at all, though it remains a possibility whenever one goes around playing with lasers. The inward focus is primarily on nerve receptors, not necessarily organs or vital arteries. I'm not trying to kill you here - the laser merely acts as an_ irritant_, concerned mainly with the process of causing _pain_. Though...judging from the reactions of the _other_ gentlemen in my test pool, calling it an 'irritant' may be a crude understatement. You'll have to let me know for yourself."

He brought the tool into Raphael's line of vision, and lowered it toward his right shoulder as the turtle watched a little breathlessly.

"My favorite way to employ it is over an already existing injury - it was _designed_ to take advantage of such weakness. I will warn you in advance that as much as it might hurt in the beginning, I'm told that it only gets worse. It takes at least ten or fifteen minutes, before you'll be fully overcome by the impact on the pain receptors. So don't get too excited all at once Raphael, because the _real _party won't start for a few minutes yet."

_It...it's just pain right? It can't last forever_, the turtle thought somewhat anxiously._ I can deal. I can handle this. Just keep reminding yourself, it won't last forever._

He couldn't refrain from trembling slightly as Stolle pressed the device nearer to his bicep. Instinctively he tried to take deeper breaths, and mentally prepare himself for how bad the pain could possibly be. He wasn't going to come close.

* * *

It had been almost an hour since Stolle had started with him, though to Raphael, it could have been days. What started as painful warm sensation across that receptors had transformed into something that _felt_ more like liquid fire, branding him from the inside out. Stolle _hadn't_ been lying about the time lapse. As the first few minutes passed, what had been merely distressing had turned absolutely _excruciating_, to the point that he couldn't hold back from screaming a couple of times.

He was sweating so hard that it felt like he could drown inside of it, as another wave of unbearable heat consumed him.

_Something else! Anything!_

Raphael tried in vain to locate something to fix on, some temporary escape from the awful torture rolling over his nerves. He longed at that moment for a memory of _anything_, a bit of peace that would distract his mind for even a few seconds. But he was as empty and dry now as he'd been for days already.

Without realizing it, he skipped a few breaths unintentionally. Amidst the nauseous feeling in his stomach, he became suddenly aware of his need for air. Stolle had withdrawn slightly for an instant, shaking his head in what might have been amazement.

"I'm_ impressed _Raphael. You've certainly held out longer than the others, though I have a feeling that you're _just _about at your limit. Perhaps now would be a good time to try getting some real answers from you, hm? Or would you rather continue the test?"

With extreme effort, he forced his mouth to form intelligible words. "_No..._no _please_..."

"As I suspected. Ready to talk then?"

"I...I _can't_." He heaved.

Stolle's only response to _that_ was to lower the device on his arm again.

"NO!" The explosion that rocketed out of his mouth was the most desperate yet. "I _can't_! I don't remember!"

He could feel the instrument going to work on nerve endings again, and shut his eyes tightly to wait in dread for the eventual agony.

"You don't remember." Stolle repeated. "That's awful convenient."

"It's_ true_!" He insisted under duress. "I woke up with the others...And it was gone, _everything_...You talk about Luke, all these brothers...I don't know...I can't _remember_ them!"

Stolle hadn't withdrawn his tool, but was now peering at the turtle curiously. _It would make sense actually, if he were telling the truth. It explains the lack of emotional or angry reaction to anything I've said about his family. And he clearly suffered a severe head injury in that crash._

"Is that right." Stolle said, a strange new quality in his voice. "Why didn't you say so before?"

"Because I thought you'd k-kill me. Now I don't _care_..." He finished through clenched teeth, moaning softly as Stolle refused to stop.

"Some things can actually be a blessing in disguise Raphael." Stolle told him, holding the contact for a few moments longer before releasing it. "You don't really _want_ to remember that capture - it was quite heart breaking I understand."

Raphael sucked in a sharp breath, trying to shut the stupid man's voice out of his head.

"Most people would be overjoyed to _forget_ such betrayal. You've always been the trouble-maker though, I can't say that I blame your brothers for abandoning you. You're the loose cannon Raphael, it's been that way your entire life.

Donatello was more than happy to see you out of the way. _He's_ the one with the brilliant mind, and _you're_ the one who can never look before you leap. He had the opportunity to help you - Blackford told me the whole thing. He chose to save his _own _skin. And your friend Luke? He paid Blackford's men _off_ to let him go free. He was only concerned about his own freedom, not so much what happened to you.

You can't blame him though Raphael. Humans have never been able to see you as anything more than an animal. You're quite correct not to trust them. If you were to take one piece of advice away from me, it's that you shouldn't trust _anyone_. You're very much on your own, and you're actually better off that way, believe me.

The truth is, they're better off without you too. You've often put them in danger with your impulsive nature. They probably wouldn't bother coming after you at all, if they weren't so afraid that you would talk. You see, they really don't trust _you_ either."

Raphael cringed openly as the pain began to increase in intensity again, and then shuddered violently.

"Oh, we've reached the fun part again, haven't we Raphael?" Stolle practically cooed. "Do you know what _that_ means? We're almost to the point where I can start over."

The level of pain had reached a peak where the turtle wasn't able to vocalize words or pleas. Uncontrollable sobs wracked his whole body. He didn't have the energy to feel ashamed for it, or try to muffle it in any way. He felt Stolle pat his cheek rather condescendingly.

"I should have just _started_ here. Thank you for your assistance in this project. It will prove invaluable to me when I proceed on Donatello."

The dizziness was crashing over his skull so hard it felt like an ocean tide was literally washing over him. With another strangled sob, the turtle finally passed out from the sheer pain.

Stolle glanced down at his watch, and laughed out loud. "An hour an twenty minutes - that's a new record. _You_ have some pain tolerance my friend. But just like I said, _everyone_ eventually breaks."

Stolle turned his back on Raphael, and walked out of the room. He cut down the hallway to his observation room, and dropped back in a chair by the desk. Opening the drawer, he pulled out the sealed bag containing the pieces of Raphael's transmitter.

_It's almost time to spring the trap I'd wager. I'm counting on you not to disappoint me Donatello. I'll wait until dawn, and then I'm quite certain I'll be hearing from you by the next sunset._


	21. Premonition

Leonardo woke up violently, in what felt like an absolute panic.

"RAPH!"

It took a few seconds for the turtle to realize where he actually _was_, but even then, his pulse rate didn't decrease. He kicked the blankets completely aside, rather than bothering with untangling from them, and glanced down at his watch. It was just after 2am, and he'd probably only been asleep for about three hours. He had to get up - he couldn't just lay here _now._

Leonardo couldn't get rid of the shaky feeling as he trudged down the stairs, and then tip-toed quietly through the living area, where Greg was asleep on the couch. He blinked a little rapidly to adjust to the light coming off of the Lab window, and then walked in without bothering to knock on the closed door.

Donatello was bent over the desk, leaning heavily on his elbow. He didn't seem to hear Leonardo walk in, or at least it didn't look like it. Jenna was asleep in one of the single beds in the Lab, having urged Luke and Katherine to take their room since Donatello wasn't sleeping anyway.

When Leonardo touched Donnie's shoulder, the turtle practically jumped a mile, then rubbing bleary eyes.

"Shell Leo, you _scared_ me.''

"Don, what are you _doing_? You still haven't slept at all, have you?"

"Um..."

"It's been almost _two_ days Donnie. Didn't Doc tell you to pack it in by midnight?"

"You don't understand Leo, I finally got _in_! I'm still working on covering my own tracks, while getting a good idea of his layout. There's so much left to figure out..."

"_Donnie_." He said warningly.

"Alright, _okay_. I'm almost asleep here at the desk anyway. But what are_ you _doing up?" Donatello asked, peering at his brother more closely when he noticed how pale he looked. "Leo, what's the_ matter_? Are you feeling okay?"

His brother shook his head sharply, now really not sure if he wanted to tell Donatello what he'd felt.

Donnie crossed his arms as Leonardo hesitated. "Bro, you've gotta tell me what's wrong."

"I was _with_ him tonight Donnie." Leonardo answered, hardly above a whisper. "I don't know if it was a dream, or a vision...but it felt so _real_." He closed his eyes for a long moment, shuddering involuntarily. "Donnie, he's_ hurting _him. I felt...it was the worst pain I've ever experienced before." He stopped to collect himself a second time. "We have to move forward in the next 24 hours, no question. Whether we're _honestly_ ready or not makes no difference. I just have the worst feeling that if we don't get in there...like he's not gonna make it.

I can't explain it, and I can't ever remember feeling anything this strongly in my entire life. I know that you and Mikey have experienced something like it through the years...knowing something was wrong with each other, when you really _couldn't_ have known. I don't think this is my imagination Donnie. I feel like he's_ fading_."

His purple-banded brother was breathing in and out slowly, clearly trying to control his own reaction. "Sundown." Was the only word he could manage at the moment.

* * *

Karina was heading back from the bathroom and had turned in the direction of Splinter's old quarters, when she heard a peculiar sound. She turned on heel and walked toward it, catching the faintest glow of light coming from underneath a closed door. She knew the room - Leonardo had showed it to her on the official tour - she just wasn't expecting someone to be using it right _now_.

Karina pushed the door open lightly, only enough to make out one of the turtles absolutely venting. It was an ironic sight to see the soft-spoken and clearly intelligent Donatello so angry - and she stood back for a long moment as he seemed to throw his entire body into an all-out assault on the punching bag.

_I don't know how that thing survives that kind of beating_, Karina thought ruefully. _Or how he does._

She had stood there for a few more moments, when she heard soft footsteps coming her direction. Jenna raised a hand slightly in greeting as she brushed past her, and walked straight into the room to approach Donatello.

_She's got more guts than I do. But then, I've seen the way he looks at her. He'd never hurt her, or __any__ of these humans for that matter._

Feeling somewhat ashamed for staying, Karina was still rooted to that spot as Jenna grabbed a hold of Donatello's shoulder.

"Hon, what are you doing?" She asked him.

He was breathing too hard to respond completely right away. "Have to...wind down."

"I see. _This_ is calming you down?"

"It's wearing me _out_. So I can sleep. I have to be ready, we've gotta get Raph. We have to get him out!"

"What have you seen Donnie?"

"It wasn't me, it was Leo. He connected with him briefly earlier...somehow. He's not in good shape, not at all. We have to move before we lose him completely!"

"Donatello, come with me, and _I'll_ help you calm down. This isn't the way to do it." Jenna told him, resting a hand against his cheek.

It was then that tears came. "Jen, I'm so scared, What if he's dyin' right _now_? I don't want to wait!"

She embraced him firmly, softly rubbing one of his temples. "If I can repeat something you told Raphael a few months ago...if you go right now, you'll only be making matters worse. You're in no condition to fight_ or _think."

She was right. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, he was only left behind with exhaustion.

"Now come with me, and let's get you back into your proper fighting form."

Karina ducked away from the hall and fled into darkness, as Jenna walked Donatello back to the Lab. The woman pointed him to one of the single beds, and then crawled up somewhat awkwardly beside him, as he shifted to his side to make room for her.

"Close your eyes." She whispered, leaning her head directly over his chest. "Don't despair, it isn't over. Just let go. Go to sleep, and you'll be back on his trail_ very _soon."

_

* * *

_

Around 7am that morning, Williams was grumbling something under his breath to Stolle's explanation for the _second_ team of men that he'd hired.

"Why are we going about it this way?" The man wanted to know. "Seems like an awful waste of time."

"I've been over this with you Williams." Stolle told him, maintaining a patient tone. "As was the case with the Hunters, I'm only looking for a little insurance. We don't have tremendous numbers on our own, and you know that these creatures can handle themselves very well."

"But you've given us all the tools that we need!"

"I'm going to ask you to trust me again Williams. Trust that I know what I'm doing, and you'll have your vengeance soon enough."

"But why are you taking the homing beacon out of here?"

"Give it some real thought! I'm not _about _to reveal my real residence to the FBI Williams! Once we have the turtles contained elsewhere, and removed their _own_ bugs, then it will be safe to bring them back here. I have everything in hand - I've planned carefully for these eventualities.

* * *

No one had wanted to enter the Lab that morning, not with Donnie and Jenna still resting. The atmosphere of the Den had become somewhat muted, as Leonardo had stressed to everyone else together the importance of their swift action before the day was over. He had tried to use the least scary terms he could come up with, but the dire stake of the circumstances wasn't lost on anyone.

Luke was fiddling with his own laptop on the coffee-table, doing a little background to check on _Donatello's_ vitals coming from his implant. He just wanted to make sure everything was functioning alright, with the pure stress he'd been under for the last couple of days. As he was about to log out of the software, a curious signal caught his eye,

_Hold up, wait...that __can't__ be Raph's beacon. Can it?_

He bolted upright off the couch so fast that Marcus gave him a funny look.

"What?" His friend asked immediately.

"I have a signal!"

"A signal of what?"

"Raphael! His beacon is transmitting!"

"What does it _say_ Luke, what are you getting off it?!"

"Gimme a second." He responded, typing furiously. "Um...it's beaming a location to us, I'm definately getting an address. But as far as medical data...I'm coming up empty here."

"Why would that be?" Marcus asked with serious tension.

"It's probably because the device is no longer _implanted_." Donatello said from the doorway of the Lab, startling both men. "Check the variables on it Doc. I bet Stolle removed it from him completely."

Luke dug deeper into the physical conditions surrounding the transmitter, and nodded after a couple of minutes had passed. "I think you're right Donnie."

"What's the location?" Donatello asked quickly.

"It's some building off of Loop and 23rd. So I'm thinking...something in the warehouse district." Luke suggested.

Donatello shook his head slowly. "Stolle is trying to set us up - I'd bet my shell on it."


	22. Phone Call

*** Back in southwestern Ohio - a quiet Wednesday afternoon at a local upscale grocery store.**

**

* * *

**

_Geesh, is it really only 2:00? I swear the numbers haven't moved for at least ten minutes. This has got to be the hardest part of the day. I just wanna get out of here so I can get back to writing already!_

The sudden blast of the walkie talkie was a little startling, as it always was when the back Grocery office was this quiet.

"**Sarah line 101 please, Sarah line 101**."

_Oh brother. That had __better__ not be Bob calling an order in late again. The deadline is past, I swear Stephi is gonna kill me. I can't ever say no. _

With a sigh, fingers punched a little warily over the keys on the telephone.

"This is Sarah."

"_Author_. How's your day going?"

"Um...Raph? How on God's green earth did you find me?"

"Donnie told me where you work. It's _right_ there on Facebook Sarah."

"I guess that _would_ be pretty obvious. So...yeah, I'm sitting here counting down the minutes until I can get back to writing. I'm sorry to leave you on a limb like this. Are you at my house?"

_Please say no._

"I figured a phone call would be safer."

"There won't _be_ any more chapters like that last one with you Raph, I swear. You don't have to be afraid of that."

"I'm sayin' it's safer for _you_ Author. I don't think it's actually a good idea for the two of us to be in the same_ room _right now. I'm just trying to figure out where this is all comin' from. You weren't_ that _mad about your iPod, were you?"

"Raph, I'm not mad at you at _all_!"

"Then what the _shell_ is your problem? Why are you doing all this?"

"It started off as a simple idea, and it sort of just took on a life of it's own...Raph, I'm sorry. You didn't really _feel_ that pain, right?"

"No, but I had to _imagine_ it, and that was bad enough!"

"I won't be going that direction again, I swear. I'm just...I'm trying to get away from my comfort zone, delving into material that I've never been bold enough to tackle before."

"Are you almost done _challenging_ yourself?"

"You're getting out of there _very_ soon Raph."

"And the memory? That's coming back too?"

"Before the story is over."

"WHEN?"

"Raph, I'm going to make this all up to you, I _promise_."

The Grocery Manager suddenly walked into the back office to check his _own_ e-mail.

_Crud._

"I'm sorry sir, how many bananas did you say that you wanted?"

"What the _heck_ are you talking about Sarah?"

"You wanted _all_ of those to be green?"

"You're sounding crazier than Stolle right now, you know that?"

"Okay, I can add those to your order for tomorrow. No, that's no problem."

Another fateful call over the walkie talkie summoned the manager out to one of the aisles, and the man left in a hurry.

"Sorry Raph, I had company. Our relationship would be a little hard to explain."

"How much longer are you gonna put me through this Author?"

"The story's probably only about half way done Raph, I have no clue how many chapters it will end up being. But the worst of it will be over soon."

"Why do you have to drag it out? Can't you just make it short and sweet? The guys get me out, my memory comes back, and we all live happily every after?"

"That's too _easy_, and besides, if I end it that fast, there won't be any time left for me to _make up _for all of it."

"At this point, I'll just be happy that it's over."

"You wouldn't say that, not if you knew what I have in store for you."

"Why don't you just_ tell _me what it is, and I'll let you know if it's worth it?"

"You know I can't do that. But I _will_ promise you a happy ending. And no more torture like that. Ever."

"I'm gonna hold you to that." He grumbled.


	23. Wrong Place

Captain Timothy Long was a couple of hours _overdue_ from getting off of the night shift. All he wanted to do right now was get his tail home and crawl into bed, but at present, he was merely cursing his own curiosity.

The Cross-Over that was idling nearby the warehouse had caught his attention, and made him hesitate from simply continuing through the neighborhood on his way home. He couldn't get a good look at the plates from his position, and he honestly hadn't noticed anything illegal take place. But the mere presence of the vehicle was proving somewhat unsettling for some reason.

He hung back around the corner from it, sitting up a little taller in the seat when he saw a hulking figure walking toward it, and climb into the driver's seat. It pulled back onto the road a few moments later, and Tim started his own squad car to follow it. His only thought was to get a license plate number, and confirm that there was absolutely _nothing_ to be suspicious of.

It took him a couple of minutes to catch up with the dark blue Cross-Over, and start to capture the letters and digits off of his plate. At the first traffic light that was feasible, he typed the number into his waiting laptop, and waited for the computer read-out to come back to him. The license plate didn't return anything unusual, but he still couldn't shake the sinister feeling he had in his gut.

* * *

"No Boss, he's still there." Williams confirmed with a glance in his mirror. "He's dropped back behind a couple more cars, but he's been following us ever since the warehouse."

"They _don't_ waste any time, do they?" Stolle laughed.

"You _really _think this guy has something to do with those creatures?"

"Haven't I told you that I don't believe in coincidences Williams? Stay calm, and let's hope he just keeps following us."

"What do we want a_ tail _for?"

"If we're going to get him out of the way, we need to do it _quietly_. He was alone, which probably means he's only a scout. Just trust me here Williams, drive normal, and don't try to lose him."

* * *

Timothy was trying to be unobtrusive, but after five miles, he figured they had to _know_ he was back here.

_Real subtle Long. How are you supposed to blend in with traffic, with you're driving a freakin' rolling billboard for the NYPD? What do you expect them to do with you watching anyway?_

But even as the thought crossed his mind, the Cross-Over made a sharp right turn, without even bothering to signal.

"Okay, _now _I have a reason to pull you over." Tim muttered, and pursued the car into the alley.

He flashed his lights and sounded his siren for a couple of seconds, to make certain they knew his intentions. The car pulled over beside the building in the middle of the alleyway, and Timothy stopped behind him, then reached for his pad, shaking his head.

_How dumb can this guy be? How did he manage to go that entire way without a single infraction, only to pull something silly like that now?_

He got out of his car and walked up to the Cross-Over, where the driver's side window was already down.

"Good afternoon. May I see your license and registration please?" He asked the large man behind the wheel.

"Registration I've got." The man said a little gruffly. "But my license is in my wallet, in a bag in the back. Can I get out to retrieve it?"

"You should _always_ have it up front with you sir. Go ahead and step out of the vehicle." Timothy told him.

With a slight smirk in Stolle's direction, Williams got out of the car, and walked with the officer around the back of the vehicle. The man opened the hatch, and was just starting to reach inside, when Tim saw the passenger approaching him now too.

"Sir, it wasn't necessary for you to get out of the car." Timothy told Stolle.

"I wanted to see if I could be of assistance. My friend here is on a new medication, he's been forgetting a lot of things lately." Stolle said evenly, intentionally keeping Timothy's attention focused on _him_ just long enough.

Williams' meaty fist met the back of Tim's head like a pile driver, and sent the man sprawling face forward to the concrete.

"Nicely done." Stolle commented. "Now get him bound and into the back. This will give me something to do for the _rest_ of the day." He said a little gleefully.

"Boss, I don't suppose you'd give _us_ a crack at him."

"You'd like to break him in for me? I think that could be arranged. I'll call Kizirnis and Lewis, let them know of our development."

* * *

Donatello had spent the better part of the day on the computer, but Michelangelo had finally managed to pry him _out _of the Lab to get something to eat, instead of simply bringing it to him.

"Your eyes need a break Donnie." Mike advised him. "You need to get away from that screen for awhile."

He _knew_ Donatello's penchant for getting too distracted to eat, and he wasn't about to let him get away with it today.

April followed them into the kitchen a moment later, and pulled out a chair to sit down next to Donatello.

"You understand what I need you to do April?" He asked her.

She nodded firmly. "What about the disturbance you set up? How's that working out?"

"It seems to be flying under the radar fro now. I'm going to repeat the whole cycle with the cameras a couple more times before tonight, so it doesn't look odd when things start getting disrupted. I want it to pass off like normal interference on the feed. You're not nervous to take the helm of the controls yourself, are you?"

"You just have to realize that if Stolle gets wind of the worm, I'm not going to be _able_ to fight him off."

"It's okay April. In the last case scenario, we'll cut the power to the building entirely, so _nothing_ will be working. I'm going to set up some charges on the junction box before we go in, and leave a remote for Jenna or Doc to detonate if necessary. They can fight out who gets to hit the button, if it even comes to that."

"And Greg and Kat will be doing what?" April asked.

"What are they doing, or what are they _telling_ us they're doing?" Mike asked with a wry smile.

"They're going to act like they're taking Stolle's bait over at the warehouse." Donatello said. "They want to create some kind of diversion over there, so that Stolle would be too distracted to see what's going on right under his nose."

"And you're _sure_ the warehouse is the fake?" April verified.

"_Positive_ April, I already found Raph on the cameras in Stolle's building." Donnie answered.

"You didn't tell me _that._"

He shrugged a little anxiously. "Nothing to tell - he hasn't moved all day."

* * *

When Donnie came back into the Lab about half an hour later, he was greeted by a loud expletive out of Greg's mouth.

"You _do_ realize that there are more words in the english language, don't you Heff?"Donnie couldn't help asking.

"Donnie, get over here! You're not gonna _believe_ this!"

"Are you watching the cameras?"

"Yes, get _over_ here!"

Donatello dropped into another chair, and Greg backed off slightly from the desk to give the turtle room to see.

"Holy _shell_, who's _that_?"

"I don't have the faintest idea Donnie. Whoever he is, he's looking like he might be hurt _bad_."

"Why would Stolle be bringing in another human at this point?" Donatello was truly bewildered.

"I couldn't say, but it looks like our number of hostages to _rescue_ just doubled."

Donatello's hand was so close to the screen that he was almost touching it. "It appears that he has as much disregard for his own kind as he does for us." The turtle muttered.

"That's classic criminal mentality Donnie. If you really care too much about other people, you won't be able to lie, cheat, steal, or kill them."

Donatello hadn't taken his eyes off the screen, staring so hard that it seemed his gaze went_ through _it.

"Raph's really not breathing well Greg. I don't know that I can _wait _until sunset."

"Donnie, we have to try. There's too much foot traffic over there in the daylight."

"I _know_! But I don't wanna lose him!"

* * *

"I honestly, _truly_, have no idea what you're talking about!" Timothy stated in utter frustration.

"I'm so sorry Captain Long, but the _amnesia_ card is already in play." Stolle remarked with a sly smile.

"I've never _seen_ him before!" Tim insisted, shooting another glance a few feet away, at the other prisoner that this man had restrained.

He'd been stunned when he first laid eyes on the creature, but quickly realized that they were now both in the same boat together.

_I don't know what he's doing with __you__, and I sure don't know what he wants from __me__. This guy is out of his gourd! _Tim thought rather anxiously.

"I have _ways_ of making you talk." Stolle said quietly.

_That always comes off sounding cheesier in the movies, doesn't it? But I don't really wanna know what he's got in his head right now. That big lummox with the fists was bad enough._

Timothy glanced in the direction of the door now, as he heard someone else coming. He tensed severely when he saw that it was Williams, his heart beating faster as the man came over to talk to Stolle.

"Boss, I really want in on the warehouse."

"You're really _not_ going to let this go, are you? Alright Williams, if you want to assist the recovery team, be my guest."

"_Thanks_ Boss, I won't let you down!" The man said, and then cast Timothy a grin. "How are things going in here? Did we soften him up enough for ya?"

Williams brought his hand down sharply on Timothy's injured leg, laughing at the man's painful reaction.

"That remains to be seen. I'll probably run a short demonstration in a couple of minutes here, see if he's any more willing to open up about the turtles."

"I don't _know_ them!" Tim said a little desperately.

"We'll get to the bottom of that, won't we Captain?" Stolle said with a leery smile. "Oh, this is going to be a good night, isn't it Williams?"

The man nodded, somewhat more stoic. "I'm ready to get my hands on them Boss."

"You're free to have your way with the other two - just don't forget that Donatello is _mine_." Stolle warned him strongly. "I don't want him damaged by anyone except _me_."


	24. Breaking & Entering

"April, do you read me okay?"

"Loud and clear Donnie, are you guys in position?"

"Nearly, we've got a couple loose ends to tie up, and we'll be moving here. I'll call you back shortly."

Donatello adjusted the ear-piece from his radio, and shot a glance at Jenna.

"You're not gonna try anything _stupid_, right?"

"As long as _you_ don't." She shot back. "I can't _make_ that promise, you know better by now."

Jenna was behind the wheel of the van already, with Luke and Marcus directly outside. Marc's Avalanche was parked behind the Battle Shell, and he was standing by to get the_ other _victim in the building to a hospital when the turtles returned.

Luke was experiencing butterflies on all fronts, trying not to imagine what his wife and Greg were doing right now, besides the fact that the guys were about to make their own attempt.

Leonardo could read the anxiety in his eyes, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be alright Doc." He said with quiet confidence. "He's not even expecting us here, right Donnie?"

"No, that's safe to say. There's just no telling how long my virus is going to go undetected, so the sooner we can get in and get _out_, the better off it'll be for all parties concerned."

"Well, what are we doing standing around _here_ for then?" Mike asked impatiently.

Donatello didn't answer his younger brother, just handed the remote over to Luke. "_Careful_ with this thing Doc. Don't punch it unless I say so."

"Why does he get to hold onto it?" Jenna called from the window.

"Because _he's_ not as likely to try to turn the van into a guided missile." Donnie gave his wife a wry smile, almost laughing at how irritated the statement made her.

"Would you _quit_ playin' around? It isn't funny, not when you're all risking your shells again. _You_ be careful, or you know I'll be tearing that building apart to get to you."

"Yes Jen, I _do_ know that. I'll be in contact okay? You've got your radio on?"

She nodded, and he ducked partially into the window to kiss her one last time.

"I'll be right back." He assured her.

"You'd _better_ be."

* * *

They hesitated for a long moment longer on the edge of the property, while Donatello called April again.

"Okay, we're set. Go ahead and turn off the motion detectors. You're gonna want to give us two minutes, and then turn 'em back on."

"That's all you need to get inside?"

"Yup. Shut 'em all down starting right..._now_."

The woman typed in a command on her end, along with a silent prayer that they would be safe.

* * *

Katherine and Greg were about six miles away from that scene, preparing to make their own move on the warehouse. They'd left Greg's Jeep about a half a block away, and were moving quietly on foot toward the building. They're already planned their distraction technique in advance, and were now simply stealing across the road like wraiths, avoiding all of the street lights.

Kat didn't like lying to Karina about what they were attempting, especially after the last few days they'd had. But she also wasn't about to tell her sister what she was actually doing.

She and Greg had studied a copy of the warehouse's schematics that afternoon, and found a good point for nearly invisible entry. It required a little bit of a climb to get near the ventilation system, and Kat found herself glancing in every possible direction, while her partner pried off the grating from the shaft.

"This has got to be one of the dumbest things we've ever done." She murmured aloud.

"I don't know James, don't you remember the time with those Tiki dancers when I--"

"I said it was the dumbest thing _we've_ ever done, not the dumbest thing _you've_ ever done." Katherine interrupted him, just as he'd gotten their pathway cleared.

Greg offered her a grin. "Do you wanna go first, or should I?"

"Just get outta my way." Katherine said with an impish smile.

She made a small leap, gaining leverage off the side of the building, and nimbly pulled herself up into the shaft. Greg climbed up after her, turning on his own flashlight.

"You have to admit this is kind of exciting James. Don't you feel like a secret agent?"

"I _knew_ you'd enjoy this too much." She chided him. "This isn't a game Greg, it's all _very_ real."

"I get that James, I really do. So are you gonna start moving here sometime soon? I'm clearly not suited for this small of a space as well as _you_ are."

"Keep your shirt on, we don't want to make too much noise yet. I hope you're not inferring that you have some kind of an issue with confined spaces." She whispered back with another smile.

"No problem here James, just get moving before I get a cramp."

"Such are the perils no one tells you about being a secret agent."

"Are you seriously making fun of me right now?"

"Alright, alright, I'm going."

Katherine moved as silently as she could through the darkness, keeping her eyes trained ahead. They had to make this look like a bonafide rescue attempt, and that would mean eventually letting on that they were _there_.

"You'll let me know if you see anything?" Greg said to her after a couple of minutes.

"Nothing to _see_ yet Greg. I'll let you know when we get to one of the cold air returns."

* * *

It had only been about 90 seconds on the turtles' end, before Donatello was hailing the woman again.

"Go ahead and turn the sensors back on April - we're already in."

He could hear her typing in the background when she responded. "You know where you're heading?"

"Yeah, it was too bad the Lab doesn't have any windows, we couldn't access it directly. We're making our way down the hall of the sixth floor right this second, trying to keep it quiet. How does the disruption on the feed look?"

"I sure haven't been able to catch sight of you on the cameras Donnie."

"That's good. I'm gonna let you go for now, so I can focus on this completely. I'll call you when we need something."

* * *

At that particular moment, Stolle was two floors down from them, having a little premature celebration with Lewis and Kizirnis. He knew better than to drink very much, but he couldn't resist having at least _one_.

_Everything is going according to plan. It will be easy enough to get rid of that "Captain" fellow, I can have Williams pass him off as a gang hit. Heaven knows the thugs in this city don't take too kindly to the NYPD pigs. Even if it __is__ only his cover, how could they be expected to know that? _

_I'd love to see the amount of training these people go through. Granted, I only used the cauterizer on him for about thirty minutes, but still. Not a crack in that foundation, at least as far as real information goes. If the government would __employ__ this type of device, they'd never have to worry about "secret" terrorist training facilities. They'd be lining up around the block to tell the truth after a few minutes of it._

Stolle glanced at the mostly full vodka bottle, and shook his head. _No, no more. Not for tonight, not when we're so close._

His phone buzzed an instant later, and he smiled when he saw that it was Williams.

"Stolle here."

"Boss, you were right. We've definitely got some kinda movement on this end. Something's inside the warehouse already - we're moving forward after them."

"Good. Remember what I told you."

* * *

"April, can you ahead and disengage a door for us? It's number 604." Donatello requested of the woman.

While she worked, Leonardo was looking around warily. "You're sure this is right? It doesn't _feel_ like anyone's really watching this floor." He said.

"They weren't expecting party crashers." Mike chortled softly.

The green light lit on the panel, and Donatello tried the door again to instant success. He probably could have hot-wired the thing himself in a couple of minutes, but it wasn't worth attracting more attention than necessary. All three turtles went quietly inside, scanning the room for a moment. Then Donnie was off like a shot, hardly taking the time to glance at Leonardo over his shoulder.

"I'm taking Raph, would you work on getting the other guy loose Fearless? Don't let him move until I get a look at him first!"

"Will do Donnie!" Leonardo agreed, and darted in the direction of the stranger.

Donatello held his breath as he passed off his backpack to Mike, and started freeing Raphael from the restraints on the chair. His brother felt _so _cold, that he almost feared the worst for a moment, before detecting the merest rise of his chest.

"He _is_ alive?" Mike couldn't help asking either.

"Yeah, just not doing well. Mike, would you get inside my bag, find the blue epi-pen? I've already got it loaded with noraphim for him."

"Will he be okay then?"

"It'll help him temporarily, but not for that long, not if we can't get him back on fluids. He's too far into shock for the shot alone to cure it."

While Mike was digging for him, Donatello was taking a swift evaluation of his older brother, hesitating a beat longer over his head injury.

_I hate to think what kind of infection he could have picked up._

Seeing Raphael this way unnerved even _his_ experienced eye. None of his brothers had ever looked closer to death to him, than Raphael did at that very moment.

When Timothy heard the door open, terror had immediately shook him to his core. He was still trembling while Leonardo was coming toward him, holding his hands out to the side.

"It's alright." He tried to soothe the man. "We're _friendly_, we're not gonna hurt you."

The tremor only slightly decreased, as Leonardo started to release him.

"You _speak_." Timothy said with some surprise. "What are...that is, _who_ are you?"

"My name is Leonardo. We came for our brother, but we're going to get you out too, okay?"

The man shied away from his hand when he got closer, and Leonardo crouched into a more relaxed position, trying to convey the calm to the human.

"I can't imagine how freaked out you must be right now - but I'm going to ask you to do something that might be a little difficult. I need you to look me in the eyes, and _trust_ me. We want to help you, but we can't do that if you won't let us." Leonardo told him softly.

The man's blue eyes met his, and actually held his gaze.

"That's right, you can trust us." Leonardo encouraged him.

He startled again when Donatello came over toward the both of them.

"He won't hurt you either sir. He just wants to take a look, so we don't cause more damage when we try to move you." Leonardo said gently.

"I don't care if I have _permanent_ damage, just get me out of here before Stolle comes back with _th-tha-that _thing!" The man wavered a little.

Donatello's fingers were carefully probing his bad leg, and he tensed considerably.

"Keep him calm Leo." Donnie said under his breath to him. "He's got a fractured knee, he ain't _walking_ out of here."

"What's your name?" Leonardo asked him, trying to distract the human sufficiently so Donnie could stabilize it.

"Tim." He answered with some strain.

"Alright Tim, I want you to listen to me. That _Stolle_ guy, we're not going to let him touch you again - I _promise_."

* * *

*** After I wrote this and went back to read it again, I noticed something. Is it just me, or is Leonardo totally channeling Horatio Caine when he's talking to Tim? This must be a sign that I've seen CSI Miami too many times.**


	25. RUN

Stolle had returned to the sixth floor after Williams' phone call, walking past the Lab with a smug smile approximately two minutes after the turtles had already gotten inside.

_You'll have company soon enough Raphael - if you're even around to __see__ it._

Stolle was heading back to the observation room, and sat down at his desk with a somewhat contented sigh. But as he settled into the routine scans of his software, a troubled frown crept back onto his face.

_What __is__ this static interference on the feed? That's the fourth time today I haven't been able to get clear angles on the camera views. It just doesn't make any sense._

As Stolle logged back into the Usernet, he immediately received a flurry of notifications concerning recent activity that he'd had _nothing _to do with.

_What the..._

It wasn't just the cameras going down, the motion sensors outside had been completely down for a short time span, and a couple of other small systems had been tampered with as well. With a mighty scowl he started hunting for the outside signal that had infiltrated his network, and didn't have a hard time locating the foreign uplink.

"_How_ did you get in here clever boy? I didn't give you enough credit Donatello, but now the game is _over_." The man stated aloud, as he clicked a button to knock the intruding signal off of the internet connection.

* * *

The guys had been waiting for April to disengage the door for them again, when Donatello got the rather frenetic call over the radio.

"Don - I got kicked out! When I tried to log back into the system, I couldn't establish another link!"

Donatello sensed one of the mounted cameras _moving_, and groaned inwardly. "_Shell_, he's onto us! Let it go April!" He ordered her, and then called to Luke over the same frequency, "Doc, are you hearing this? This isn't a drill, he can _see_ us! Kill the electricity now!"

* * *

"_Dumbest _thing we've ever done!" Katherine couldn't help exclaiming again, as she and Greg had started leading the thugs on a merry chase of their own.

"Shut up and_ run _James!"

They had a very good head start on the dozen or so men, but the fact that all of them were armed was pushing them to keep a better distance.

"Do you think we have their attention now?" Greg said ironically, half stumbling when a bullet came entirely too close.

As he whirled around to return fire, Katherine yanked him fiercely by the arm to keep moving.

"_No _Greg, don't give 'em an excuse to scatter! Our best _hope_ is for them to hunt as a pack - then we have a better chance of taking out _everyone_ at once!"

"Well we'd better get on with it before they kill us both!"

"Just a little farther Greg! Don't you see that scaffolding up ahead? We can attack more safely from there!" The woman was already fingering the strap of her backpack with anticipation. "I hope you remembered your earplugs!"

He grinned at her unexpectedly. "Just gonna have to do without."

The open fire was getting harder to avoid, and they were both relieved to dive behind a semblance of protective cover. Kat bent low over the ground while she prepared two of the concussion grenades, and handed them off to Greg.

"They're set to go - just break the safeties' when I tell you to!"

"They're gonna be on top of us in a minute here!" Greg said warningly, as Katherine peered through a break in the scaffolding to see the approaching gunmen.

"Just wait!"

An instant later, a bullet actually came within inches of Greg's head as he was waiting to throw the devices. "_James_!"

"_Alright_, do it!" She called to him, ducking down as low to the floor as she could possibly get.

Greg hurled both grenades into the oncoming pack of wild dogs that were trying to pass themselves off as_ men_, and hit the ground beside Katherine, barely having enough time to cover his head before two explosions went off almost simultaneously.

* * *

When the electricity went out, Donatello quickly realized that the door had locked down completely. With a mighty cry of frustration, he nearly started to panic before remembering that he _had_ one last charge.

"Mikey! See if you can find me some good tape!" Donnie yelled to his younger brother, as he bent over the floor setting up the last of his explosives.

Leonardo darted over to help Michelangelo look, but couldn't help calling back. "What's wrong Donnie?"

"The dang door's gotta have some kind of _fail-safe _feature! I'm gonna get Doc to blow us out of here!"

"He can still do that?" Mike asked.

"Once I've armed it, the remote he has can set it off!"

Michelangelo had been the first to locate the roll of duct tape, and ran it over to Donatello, who made quick work of strapping the charge to the door.

"Head back, get behind something!" Donatello warned the others, who were already in the process of getting Raphael and Timothy out of the way to the other side of the room.

Donnie joined them swiftly, pressing a hand to his radio. "Doc, are you with me?"

"I'm _here _Donnie, are you guys alright?"

"Not quite yet! I need you to hit that remote for me again! I set up another charge, and I just need your magic touch to blow us out of here!"

"You mean right now?"

"Yeah Doc, NOW!"

* * *

Stolle had been working on getting the door open manually, with a grimly armed Lewis directly to his right.

"I don't care who or _what_ you have to kill, just be careful of--"

Stolle never got to finish the statement, his words were cut off by a miniature explosion, which hurled both men backwards into the opposite wall. Lewis was on his feet again in a moment, but Stolle intentionally hung back on his knees, waiting to see how things were going to play out inside.

The turtles were starting to rise from their own cover when a gun-toting Lewis came inside, looking _seriously_ determined. He was coming in their direction of the room _fast_. Without a spoken word, Michelangelo leaped to his feet and descended on the man, despite the fact that his weapon was raised. At that particular moment, he really didn't care if the man _did _kill him - he was just trying to give the others at least an opening.

He'd startled Lewis severely, and the man's finger never actually made it to the trigger before Mike's numchuck made a solid connection with his skull. The man dropped like a rock, and the other turtles darted up after him.

"Are you _crazy_?" Donatello demanded angrily. "He could have killed you!"

"He _didn't_." Mike shot back, then rushing back towards Raphael. "I'm gonna take killer here so you can go hands-free Donnie!" He continued, as if nothing unusual had happened.

As Leonardo was retrieving Timothy, he gave his younger brother a slightly dark look. "We'll talk about _that_ later."

As Donatello turned toward the door, he clearly heard April trying to reach him again.

"We're still kicking April! Can you talk fast?"

"When you had me disarm the door that first time, I noticed that the sixth floor is the only one with that level of security! It seems like if you go down a flight, they should just have regular locks!"

"Thanks April, that's exactly what we'll do!"

When they reached the hallway, Donatello found himself having to step over Stolle with a grimace of anger.

"What the _shell_? Did his men turn on him?" Leonardo asked when he caught sight of him.

"He was probably too close to the door when it went off, we should make sure he--"

Donatello cut off instantly, when he saw a man coming toward them quickly from the other end of the hallway. "MOVE!" He yelled to his brothers. "Follow me, stay close!"

They were heading in the direction of the nearest stairwell.

Kizirnis hesitated by Stolle for a moment when he reached him, checking to see if the man was alive. He was startled when Stolle jerked upright.

"I'm_ fine _you idiot, I just didn't want _them_ to know it! After them, hurry! You have authority to use deadly force on all but the one!"

* * *

They pounded down the staircase as fast as they could manage with their precious burdens, and Donatello yanked open the door to the fifth floor. Even as he opened it, he heard the footsteps of someone pursuing them.

"Come on!" He urged his brothers.

His only thought was bending toward getting to one of the rooms on the end of the hall, which would definitely have access to the fire escape. They'd only made it about half-way down the hall when he heard the footsteps behind them again, and this time it was followed up by a couple of gunshots.

"Keep moving!" Donatello encouraged his brothers again, worried about their pace being hampered by the extra weight, _and_ for the safety of Raphael and Tim. _We're gonna have to get rid of this guy before he __kills__ someone_, Donatello acknowledged to himself, as he pulled up short by the door on the very end.

He attacked the doorknob with a furious kick, and it practically flew off the hinges entirely as he forced his way through it. He nearly ran into a hanging sheet of plastic - the entire room was in various stages of renovation, with exposed dry wall and framing in several areas. Donatello motioned for Leonardo and Mike to pass him, and took a defensive stance himself just inside the door with his bo in hand.

When Kizirnis caught up, he stared the turtle down for a long moment in what glow the emergency lights provided. His gun was raised, but he wasn't making any moves on him. Donatello cocked his head curiously, and then startled when the man started firing, not at _him_, but in the direction of his brothers across the room.

With a loud cry he lunged at the man, twirling his bo expertly over his head for a powerful strike, first of the man's gun hand, and then he followed it up with a heavy blow over the head. Donatello whirled back around, and hurried toward his brothers.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Donnie, is this a problem?" Leonardo asked swiftly, motioning toward the hissing sound now escaping from an exposed pipe that one of the bullets had struck.

"SHELL, that's a gas line!" Donatello gasped. "We have to get out, one spark and this room could go right up!"

They made for the fire escape, and Donatello helped both his brothers get Raphael and Timothy out the window.

"Now _go_!" Donatello ordered them. "I'm right behind you!"

"Donnie--" Leo started.

"Leo, go! I'm coming, I'll be right there!"

His older brother gave him another once over, before starting to descend with Timothy as carefully as he could. It was slower going with their burdens, but it was also just a relief to be out of the building.

Donatello cast a glance over his shoulder at Kizirnis, and smacked himself in the forehead angrily. "I _hate_ being the good guy sometimes!"

With that, he hurried over to the man, with every intention of getting him out of the room that could become a potential inferno at any given moment. Donatello was just bending over the man's still form, when he felt something sharp catch him in the shoulder. He reacted so quickly to it that he _nearly_ managed to get the barbs out, right before Stolle activated the taser.

His entire body was captured in the seize of the shock, and Stolle chose to only hold the button for a few seconds. He didn't want the turtle _completely_ incapacitated after all, not now in his grand moment. Donatello tried to move futilely as the man got down beside him, but his muscles were still contracting from the effects of the stun, and they couldn't obey him.

"Hello Donatello - I've been waiting _just_ for you. You didn't actually think I would let you walk out of here, did you?"

* * *


	26. Get Out

Kat and Greg didn't wait for the men to recover from the concussion blasts - they took off running again, aiming for the way out. They were within a couple of yards of the exit, when a massive _familiar_ figure stepped out of the shadows, brandishing his gun directly at them. Neither Agent was in the mood to simply surrender, their own hands resting upon the firearms at their sides.

"Don't be ridiculous," Williams scoffed. "You ain't gettin' out of here. Lay down your weapons, nice and slow like. First one of you to move is gonna get your _partner_ killed."

They hesitated a beat longer, as the man pointed his weapon directly at Kat's head.

"I _seriously_ hope you don't think I'm kidding. Do it!" He ordered.

Slowly, they withdrew their guns as in a single motion, and put them down on the floor.

"Now kick 'em away." Williams ordered, and waited for them to comply. Then the smirking man approached Katherine, keeping his gun level on her chest.

Greg eyed the man warily for about three seconds, before launching himself in between the two of them, and sending a shattering blow to the weapon itself. Williams recovered quickly from losing the gun, and struck Greg viciously in the eye as hard as he could. The instant Greg went down, Katherine planted herself firmly in front of him before Williams could do anything else.

"_Really_ sweetheart?" Williams laughed, "You wanna fight me as God intended? I would _say_ I'd go easy on you, but it's not exactly my style."

Katherine never liked to waste words, and she wasn't about to start right now. She evened out her breathing, not so much as flinching when Williams drew closer to her. She raised both arms into a defensive stance, eclipsing her left one across her chest, so that her elbow was facing the thug. Before he could blink she struck him in the chin with the back of her left fist, drew it sharply back to her body, and followed it with a straight blow from her _right_.

Before he could remotely recover, she brought her knee up swiftly, and drove her foot into Williams' chest, following it with a pointed jab directly to his solar plexus.

He grunted in pain as he tried to find his breath again, and when an expletive leaped to his tongue, Katherine couldn't help smiling.

_Time to finish this._

The woman spun around quickly, leaping forward so that her momentum would carry her other leg forcefully into William's forehead. It was a perfect Tornado Kick combination, which she'd never once used outside of sparring. The man crumbled as if in slow motion, and hit the floor like a load of bricks.

Kat gave him a once over to be sure that he was actually _out, _and then rushed to Greg's side. "Partner?" She said a little nervously, and he jolted when he felt her hand on his shoulder.

"James?"

"That _might _not have been the smartest thing you could have done." She couldn't help saying.

"Tell me about it." He replied, and allowed her hand to pull him upright a little further.

"Are you okay? Can you walk?"

"I think so, just give me a second." He replied.

She helped steady him as got his balance back, and then he glanced over at Williams with a whistle.

"Dang it James. How many of those Tai Kwon Do courses have you _been_ through?"

"Only about eighteen years worth Greg. I _told_ you it would be worth checking out."

"What, so you can kick my tail all over the ring? I don't think so."

* * *

"You're not the _only_ one who doesn't appreciate his technology being screwed with Donatello." Stolle said pointedly. "You should know that all of this was for _you_, every last bit of research and months of planning."

Panic was seizing the turtles' mind for more than one reason. _This lunatic is gonna get us __both__ killed!_

"_Stolle_," He managed with some difficulty, "You've got to--"

"I don't really want to hear from you right now Donatello, I just want to savor the moment. You didn't play my way, but in the end, you still _lost_." The man laughed.

Donatello had some slight feeling in his right leg, and tried to lash out at the man. Stolle caught the limb easily, there had been no true force behind the blow. Stolle held onto it without letting go, curiously running his fingers over the surgical scar on his right knee.

"Ah, so this_ is _the leg you've had so many issues with. You know Donatello, I believe that a little demonstration is in order. You'll have a much longer turn later, but I think you've certainly earned a small preview of what's to come. Raphael lasted almost an hour and a half of it last night, I'm curious to see how long _you_ can endure it."

Stolle had the cauterizer in hand, and took a moment to increase the wattage output. His focus this time would not be on nerve receptors, but the reconstructed ligaments that he'd heard Donatello and Luke discussing in some detail only three weeks previously.

* * *

Leonardo carefully handed Timothy off to the two doctors, after they'd gotten Raphael to the van.

"_Where's Donatello_?" Luke demanded, even as Leonardo was looking back up at the fire escape.

"He was _supposed_ to be behind us! Take care of the others Doc, I'm going after him!" Leonardo proclaimed, and dashed back in the direction of the fire escape.

He started climbing the flights, taking about three stairs at a time, his feet resounding loudly over the metal of the escape. He had just made it to the fourth level when he heard a terrible sound that he _knew_ was Donatello - and the last time he'd heard it, it had been his _own_ fault. Another surge of adrenaline pushed the turtle forward, and he literally dove through the window to get back into the room.

Leonardo leaped upright out of the somersault, and saw Stolle nearly on top of Donatello across the room. Without taking a second to think about it, he hurled one of his katana directly at the man with all the strength that he had. The blade impaled all the way through the man's shoulder, effectively burying into the floor with Stolle trapped under it.

The turtle _wanted _to do more, but was more concerned with getting to Donatello at that moment. "Donnie, are you okay?"

His brother only gasped in return, and Leonardo quickly realized that he wasn't going to be able to move on his own. As he started to lift him, he noticed Donatello's hand was grazing something that had fallen on the floor, desperately trying to grasp hold of it.

"What is that?" Leo asked him.

"Don't know." Donatello answered breathlessly. "_Hurts_, real bad...he used it on Raph a _bunch_. We gotta know what it _does_."

Leonardo picked it up to satisfy him, and then jerked to look overhead at the sound of something distinctly mechanical.

"What was _that_?"

"Back up generators." Donatello said with a surge of life. "They're starting to come on! Leo, you've gotta get out!"

"I'm _sorry_ if this hurts bro, but I'm not leaving you!" Leonardo answered, and swiftly yanked Donatello over his shoulder off the floor.

Donnie clenched his jaw for a moment, trying to fight down the wave of sickness and pain that struck in that instant. Leonardo had only made it a couple of steps with him when Donatello called him to stop.

"Leo, your blade!"

His katana was still pinning a writhing Stolle to the floor.

"Forget it!" Leonardo said without stopping. "We're going _now!"_

They heard the distinct hum overhead signaling that the generator was warming up - the last thing that either of them wanted to hear in that moment. Mike popped up by the window a second later, and Leonardo sighed in relief.

"Take him Mike, and get moving!" He ordered.

Leonardo helped force Donatello through much less carefully than he would have like to, and crawled out after him as Mike started down the stairs as swiftly as he safely could. Leonardo caught up quickly, and urged him to keep going. They'd barely made it to the third floor, when an explosion rocked the fire escape, and nearly knocked them down with it. All they could see overhead was _flames_.

"Mike GO!" Leonardo yelled again, helping the turtle to snap out of his daze.

Luke and Marcus were waiting at the bottom, ready to receive Donatello from him.

"Donnie, are you alright?" Luke asked anxiously, the second he saw how fast the turtle was breathing. He'd known Donatello long enough to distinguish the difference between adrenaline and_ pain_.

"Don't worry...about me." He insisted between breathes. "We gotta go, we gotta go now!"

While Leo helped Luke get Donnie into the van, Marcus ran back over to Timothy.

"Mike, can you help me get him to my car?" He requested.

"No,_ leave _me." Tim told them, to their great confusion. "EMS will be by soon because of that fire - these guys need you more than I do!"

Marcus stared him down for a moment. "You're not gonna tell--"

"Not if my _life_ depended on it!" Tim interrupted him with such conviction that even Mike believed him. "But how can I find you?"

Marcus cast Michelangelo as questioning glance, and then slowly drew his wallet out. "Here, this card has my number on it. I suppose you deserve some type of explanation, but if you say anything--"

"Not gonna happen!" Tim insisted. "They_ saved_ my life, and they didn't have to!"

Marcus released the card into his grip, and gave him a lingering glance.

"You're sure you don't want me to take you to the hospital myself?"

"Take care of your _boys _- just get them outta here!" Tim told him.

* * *

Inside the back of the van shortly after they'd started driving, something very _odd_ was taking place inside of Donatello. The pain in his knee had never_ left_, but now it was increasing with a fervent intensity that was worse than when Stolle actually had the instrument _on_ him. His breathing seemed to quit almost entirely for a moment, as the worst pain he'd experienced yet traveling through the ligament.

"Donnie, what is it?" Luke asked with some alarm.

The turtle grabbed Luke's wrist so firmly that it could have left imprints.

"Make...it...._STOP_."

Luke scrambled through various epi-pens until he found the sedative, and immediately injected the turtle in the shoulder. Within a couple of seconds his breathing actually deepened, and he passed out on the seat.


	27. Safe

*** There is a deep history behind Donatello's knee injury, and if you don't know what I'm referring to, you might want to go check out the second fic in my series, Broken. The first few chapters explain everything in detail. All of my stories are connected, simply a continuation one right after the other. After I've already spent a lot of time on a particular subject, I don't like to always force people to sit through it again. So if you're a newcomer and want the skinny, you know where to look. :) Back to business.**

**

* * *

**

Donatello watched helplessly from one of the other beds in the Lab, while Luke and Marcus were getting Raphael hooked up to a couple of different fluids and some blood replacement. Jenna was sitting at his side, fidgeting every so often, but not saying anything. Her fingers were lightly interlaced with his, and she tried to keep her light blue gaze assuring every single time that he captured it.

"Are you in much pain?" She finally asked.

"Not like _before_, no. I don't know _what_ that was about." He told her. "It still hurts, but_ nothing _like it did."

Luke continued to work on Raphael, but now Marcus split off from him, going to get a better handle on how Donatello was faring.

"Hey." Marc said evenly. "Holding up okay over here?"

"Yeah Marc, I can't complain. How's Raph look?" Donnie asked.

"He's _rough_ Donnie...but they actually treated his wounds well enough, we probably won't be dealing with very much infection. He's severely dehydrated, and his lungs had actually been in the process of shutting down when you found him. With the measures we have in place now...we should get him back.

But I want a closer look at your knee right now. If Stolle messed up my work, I'm going back there to kill him myself."

"I think it's _safe_ to say that he's probably already toast Marc - though I'd still like some assurance myself." Donatello replied.

Luke had taken a couple of scans of Donatello's knee back in the van, but Marcus was the orthopedic expert of the bunch. He spent a few minutes now studying one of the computer monitor, before releasing a light breath.

"Okay Donnie, the good news is, the ligament is still intact. I'm not seeing any tears, not even minute ones. But it's been severely stressed, and that means that you're going to be _extremely_ vulnerable to injuring it. If you promise to stay off of it as much as you possibly can, I won't immobilize you, I'll just wrap it nice and tight. You _do_ understand, don't you, how easily you could be re-injured at this point? It's absolutely imperative that you rest it. A little bit on crutches shouldn't hurt you, but you can't overdo it."

"Yeah Marc, I get it." The turtle agreed, some relief flooding his mind. "I was fearing the worst for a minute, back there in the van. It didn't even hurt _that _bad when it actually got injured to begin with. I'd love to get a closer look at that tool Stolle was using."

"You've had enough excitement for one evening Donnie - that can seriously wait. The best thing for you to do right now, would be to try and get some sleep."

As Marcus returned to the computer, Donatello released a sharp breath, squeezing Jenna's hand tighter for an instant. Now that Raphael was home, he felt like he actually _could_ relax, even though he couldn't get a hand on him himself. Jenna scooted the desk chair closer to him, then rose slightly out of it so she could reach him easier. He raised his chin to meet her as she kissed him, cradling a hand under his jaw.

"You scared me." She said half accusingly.

"I'm sorry babe, I didn't mean for that to happen. I hate to think what _could_ have happened."

She gently guided his chin back to her, and kissed him again. "I don't much care for being your _driver_ Donatello."

"I know, you'd rather be_ inside _punching somebody out." He said with a chuckle.

"You can't make a habit of putting me through this, or my heart won't last another ten _years_." She murmured.

"Well, I can't let that happen." He said with a slight grin, "I couldn't find another driver as beautiful as you."

"I'm the_ only _driver who's ever gonna be with you Donnie." She said meaningfully.

He laid his head back down as she withdrew to her chair. "I agree." He told her. "Some positions just can't be filled."

* * *

Leonardo came in about five minutes later, nodding to acknowledge Jenna as the woman got to her feet.

"I'm going to check on how Mike's coming with the tea." Jenna said quickly, sensing that Leonardo wanted to talk to Donnie. "I'll be back hon." She told him, and trotted out of the room.

Donatello smiled tiredly at his older brother, and held out his fist toward him. It took Leo a few seconds to bump it in return, clear anxiety coloring his features.

"_Stop_ worrying Fearless, it's gonna be fine." Donatello told him. "Marc just told me that it isn't even separated. It's fragile enough that I'm going to have to take it easy for awhile, but everything will _be_ okay."

"Hearing you_ yell _like that, it took me right back to that day Donnie. It honestly scared me to death."

Donatello didn't say anything for a moment, and then locked gazes with him. "You saved my shell Leo. Thanks for coming after me."

"_What_, like we'd leave without you?" Leonardo smiled, actually relaxing a little bit. "_That _wasn't going to happen."

"I'm sorry about your katana."

"It was a worthy sacrifice." Leonardo told him. "It's only a_ thing _- I can replace it. I couldn't ever replace _you_." He finished, throwing both arms around his younger brother's plastron.

* * *

When Greg and Kat arrived, they both tried to be completely casual about what they'd actually been up to, even though they figured it wouldn't stick for long. Michelangelo was the first one to lay eyes on Greg, and shook his head at the man.

"You have a real problem keeping your _head_ away from other's guys' fists, don't you?"

Greg shot the turtle a warning look, as Karina entered the room crossing her own arms. She fixed immediately on Katherine with a bit of an evil eye.

"Are you going to tell me the truth, or aren't you?" Karina demanded. "I don't like being treated like a little kid."

Katherine shuffled uncomfortably, obviously more unsettled under her own sister's gaze than she'd been under Williams'.

"We created a physical diversion, which ended up not really doing the turtle's any good." She muttered in return.

"But you _did_ get to put Williams in his place." Greg laughed. "There's always a bright side."

"You risked your lives?" Karina pressed.

Katherine and Greg exchanged a glance.

"Kari, that's what we _do_." Katherine told her. "It kind of comes with the territory."

"Not when you don't _have_ to." Karina said with a serious edge.

Mike had just returned with an icepack for Greg, and backed out of the room when he saw how peeved Karina was getting.

"This wasn't for _work_ Kari, but it was absolutely necessary." Katherine corrected her. "It know how strange it must seem to you, but we care about the turtles. They're not just creatures to us, they're like..."

"_Family_." Karina finished. "I_ know_, okay? You don't have to remind me. And I _do_ understand, I can see how special they really are."

"What's actually eating you right now Karina?"

"I just don't want to be lied to, and I don't want to be patronized! I can _handle_ your honesty, that's all I'm asking for. Either I'm _in_, or I'm not. If you don't really want me here, then just say so!"

"I _want_ you here Kari." Katherine told her. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you what we were doing. This is a major adjustment - you know I've never wanted you or Brandon to worry about me."

"It's an adjustment for _me_ too Kat, I just wish you'd actually give me a chance here!"

Jenna ventured inside the living area, slowly coming to sit in the chair across from the sisters. "This isn't an easy situation to come into, is it?" She said carefully, trying to see if she could simply diffuse it.

"It was harder for _you_ I imagine." Karina said with a small sigh. "I can't believe you came back here with them _alone_ that first time."

"You have to remember that Donatello had just saved my life. It wasn't as hard as you might think."

Karina gave her a look that made Jenna smile a little wider.

"Alright, of _course_ it was frightening. But I didn't believe he risked his life to save me, only for his family to kill me later."

Karina broke eye contact with Jenna, and looked down at the floor. "Kat...I don't mean to sound bitter. We've been separated for so long, and to find out that you fit somewhere, into a unit like this one...it's rather intimidating. _And _it makes me jealous. You risking your life, without breathing so much as a word of it...just put all those emotions over the top.

The truth is, I feel you have so much in common with these guys. You both wage war on crime, and can seriously handle yourselves in a fight...not to mention your friendship with Luke. You're practically all kin already. It makes me wonder what my place could ever be, I don't even know _why_ I'm here. I wasn't _supposed_ to know about them. If I hadn't stumbled into your house that morning, you never would have even told me about this."

"I don't know if I could say _never_." Katherine said quietly, then tried to gather the words for an appropriate response to the rest of it.

"Karina, if I could be so bold..." Jenna spoke up. "You might think of all of this as some giant accident, that was never supposed to happen. But we, all of us, have come to learn that most things happen for a reason."

"Are you implying that I was _fated_ to meet them?" Karina asked sardonically.

"No," Jenna replied. "More like _designed_."

* * *

Leonardo carefully set his brothers' sai on the desk, running one finger over a tip of a blade as he did. He caught Donatello'a glance, and smiled back at him.

"I want to make sure that they're close by when he wakes up. He might want them." The blue banded turtle sighed deeply. "I'm so relieved he's home. Now if he'll just come around..."

"Patience Leo." Luke told him. "We're getting him stabled out. The important thing is that we're all here, and everyone's in one piece, for a _change_."

Katherine appeared in the doorway of the Lab an instant later, waving slightly to her husband. Luke went over to meet her, sweeping her up in a firm embrace.

"You're okay?" He asked probingly.

"No one even touched me. _Greg_ about got his block knocked off, but that was because--"

"Kat, I'm _really_ not sure if I want to know all about your suicide mission or not." He said wryly.


	28. Curiosity

"So as much as I can _appreciate_ you're being willing to play the part of the martry, I don't ever want to see you do something like that again, you understand?" Leonardo was saying firmly to his youngest brother. "We're a team, and we need to _act_ like one."

Michelangelo nodded meekly. "I'm sorry, I only thought...it won't happen again Fearless."

"What was going through your head right that second?" Leo couldn't help asking.

He shrugged. "Somebody needed to take 'im down."

A smile returned to Leonardo as he shook his head at him, and then noticed Mike stifle a yawn.

"We could all use some real rest. Are you gonna let the Docs do their jobs tonight?" He asked pointedly.

Michelangelo had been_ known _to wait around the living area for hours on end, just in case something changed while everyone else was sleeping.

"I 'spose there's no reason to stand over their shoulders." Mike replied, giving Leonardo a careful glance of his own.

His older brother seemed _different_ tonight, as if he were actually standing up straight for the first time in quite awhile.

"You're doing...okay Leo?"

"I feel better than I have in months, though I can't completely explain it. I think I'm just so grateful to have Raph _back_, that everything else can simply fall by the wayside. I won't have any trouble sleeping tonight, that's for sure."

"I think it's more than_ Raph _bro." Mike said in response. "You're not the _victim_ anymore."

* * *

Luke spent the remainder of the night in the Lab, watching over both of the turtles. He was only keeping Donatello here for the time being so he could keep a close eye on him, but it wasn't going to be necessary for him to stay in the Lab for very long. He'd sent Marcus to get some sleep, Katherine and Karina were together over in Splinter's old quarters, and everyone else had been quiet for hours now as well.

Raphael's injuries were treated, and his vital systems were being properly supported, leaving Luke not very much to do other than wait. He ended up over at the desk, taking some normal notes by hand with pen and paper. He knew full well Donatello would never sleep through his typing.

It was about an hour before dawn when he sensed someone watching him, and glanced over his shoulder at the window. When he saw Karina he quickly got to his feet, and went out to the living area to see her.

"Hi." He said quietly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah Luke,_ I'm _fine, but I'm not sure about Kat. She's been tossing and turning for about half the night. I think she could really use you right now."

Luke glanced down at his watch. "Well...I've got about and hour before Marcus will be down to relieve me."

"Why don't you go, and let me stay here until then?" Karina suggested. "It's no big deal, right? They're sleeping, and if something went wrong, the machine will go crazy, won't it?"

The man hesitated for a beat, until Kat's words to him from earlier resounded in his mind.

_She's just trying to find a place to fit in._

"Alright Kari, if it doesn't bother you." Luke said. "Donatello's usually a really light sleeper, so be careful of the noise, okay? You know where to find me if there's a problem."

"I sure do."

* * *

Karina entered the Lab that she'd only been inside of once before, about four days ago. Her gaze lingered on Donatello for a moment, watching him while he slept. His breathing was even and completely relaxed. She smiled as she remembered watching Jenna a few hours ago, stubbornly not wanting to be separated from him. Luke had almost needed a crowbar to pry her out of the room, and in the end she'd only left because she knew Donnie would _sleep_ better if she did.

_I __do__ think I understand why Katherine loves them. They're so intelligent...strong...they seem so much like __people__. They're really not like animals at all._

Her gaze scanned across the room to land on Raphael, and she quietly moved toward him. She's only briefly laid eyes on the turtle before, when he's been carried into the Den looking practically half dead at the time. There was something so vulnerable about him now, hooked up to all those different tubes at once. Her heart ached slightly within her, compassion stirring to the surface.

_Raphael, do you know how much your family loves you? They probably would have gone to any length to get you back. And the others, my sister and Greg...all of them care so much about you. I'm praying that you __can__ come back._

Karina peered at the turtle more closely, not liking the motionless quality of his frame which barely seemed to allow for the fact that he _was_ breathing. She tugged at the blanket on top of him, lightly laying a hand on top his plastron to be sure that it was actually rising. It didn't feel the way she'd expected it to - it was hard and unrelenting, like a piece of armour that he never had to take off.

_I don't see how anyone could actually __hurt__ you_, she thought curiously, as she circled around to his left side.

Karina was not an intrusive person, but something was drawing her to explore the turtle somewhat closer. She'd watched Donatello and Jenna's interactions with fascination, and already wondered a number of times what that skin would actually feel like. Holding her breath, Karina ran her fingers over his left arm a bit guardedly, as if expecting him to wake up and discover her at any moment.

But after a couple of minutes had passed, she had grasped his muscular arm a little more strongly, marveling at the dimensions and definition.

_I thought he'd feel colder than this, and __harder__, after touching his chest. His skin feels more like leather of some kind. It's actually quite extraordinary._

Karina pushed a stray bronze hair out of her eyes with her left hand, and started strongly when she heard someone clear their throat from across the room. Her right hand left Raphael's arm as quickly as if she'd been shocked, and she swiftly turned around to see Donnie sitting up on his elbow, staring at her with a mixture of amusement and interest.

"Good morning." He said with an even smile.

"Oh, I uh, I was just making sure he was _breathing_ and..."

"Relax Karina, it's okay to be curious y'know." Donnie chuckled. "This is a whole new experience for you."

She backed away from Raphael, but threw another lingering glance back at him before turning to Donatello.

"He is going to be alright, isn't he?" She asked. "He just doesn't look...it seems like he's been through a lot."

"I'm _sure_ he has." Donatello said quietly. "And he's going to need some time to really recover. But Raph is strong Karina, I know my brother. He'll pull through this."

The woman lowered into the chair that was beside him, now casting her curiosity toward _him_. "Have you really been down here for your whole lives?"

"Yup, this is home."

"And the others, how long have_ they _been around?"

"April was first...over ten years ago now. Before her, it was just Sensei and the four of us."

"You must be very close."

"We've had our ups and downs through the years...but we're probably closer _now_ than we've ever been before. The teenage trials are hard _enough_ without adding in all of our complications." He finished wryly. "In a way, I'm pretty glad that those years are behind us, with the exception of missing our father."

"Every time I turn around, I'm more surprised by the way all of you make me feel." Karina said. "There's something so _tangible_ about you, that it makes it easier to forget that you're....that we're so different."

"What you _see_ is only skin deep Karina." Donatello told her. "Inside, we're not all that different. It just comes in a unique package."

"I hope I'm not offending you, I'm just trying to be honest. You're actually the most amazing...guys I've ever laid eyes on. And I'm glad that I did."

* * *

It was the morning of the second day since Raphael had been home, and the others were trying to be upbeat and fall back into some semblance of a routine. The last twenty-four hours had been very quiet, as the "family" waited for more signs of life on Raphael's part. With serious prodding from Luke and Marcus, they'd managed to get Donatello moved back to his own room. The turtle hadn't been happy about it, but _begrudgingly_ admitted he would rest better there anyway.

A flash of pain through his temple was the first thing that drew Raphael back to reality, reminding him how much his head was still bothering him. He stirred slightly, recognizing through hazy understanding that he felt more comfortable now than he had in days. Then with even _more_ surprise, he realized that he was no longer restrained. With that thought, he opened bleary eyes, raising his head very slowly to look around the room.

_Shell, __another__ lab? How did I get to this one?_

Feeling dizzy from the motion, he took in the rest of his surroundings, coming to rest lastly on the machinery that he was hooked up to.

_Whoa, getting a little more serious now, aren't we? I see we're back in the "healing" phase. I musta been pretty bad off for them to think they didn't need to tie me down._

Raphael heard a sound near the door, and dropped his head instantly, shutting his eyes in the same motion. He had a feeling that the longer he stayed "out of it", the more time he would be granted to actually _recover_ before everything started over again. Through the fog that remained in his subconscious, he focused on remaining absolutely still as he heard voices, at least two individuals coming toward him.

"There hasn't been any change at all?" Greg asked Marcus.

"I wouldn't say that. " Marcus told him. "He's been breathing deeper now, and all of his life signs are nearing normal levels. I wouldn't expect it to take very much longer for him to come around."

_I hope you're the patient type, _Raphael thought tiredly, as he felt the pull of darkness on the back of his mind.

"Do you mind if I'm here for awhile? I don't want to be in your way." Greg said.

"You're alright Heff. Let him hear your voice - you never know, it might help him."

Raphael cringed inwardly as he felt the human's touch on his skin, and fought off the urge to react.

_Wait until you're stronger. __Don't__ blow this!_

"I know you're in there Raph, so you'd better hurry up already." Greg said a little sarcastically. "I still have a score to settle with _you_."

_We'll see about that_, Raphael thought a little faintly, before allowing the waves to overwhelm him again.


	29. Hostage

It had been an exercise in sheer determination to stay quiet and still over the course of the last two days since Raphael had first come around. The first day and a half hadn't actually been very difficult, as he'd spent much of that time fading in and out of consciousness _anyway_. It hadn't been possible to hide everything - he was sure that those humans were aware of how close he actually was, but he'd stubbornly kept his mouth shut, and refused to open his eyes regardless of what they did to him.

In all honestly, they hadn't remotely injured yet, simply irritated him with their constant coming and going.

_At least Stolle left me __alone__ for a couple of hours at a time. Who are __these__ jokers, and what am I even doing here with them? I guess Stolle lost all interest in me the second he found out I couldn't tell him anything useful. __Shell__ if he was here right now, no force on earth would be able to keep me in this bed._

Raphael's breath caught slightly in his chest when one of the humans leaned in close, while checking the stitches in his right arm.

_At least they __patch__ better than he did, but this dude needs to back the heck up._

"You _did_ take him completely off the tetrozine, didn't you?" Marcus asked Luke from Raphael's other side.

"Yeah, his infection risk is low enough now, and I'm concerned it might have been hindering him from waking up completely. I keep thinking he's going to come around here any second."

"He's _going_ to Luke. It's just a matter of time now, he'll be up and around before we know it." Marcus said confidently.

* * *

It was really just the changing of the guard for the two doctors, and Luke only spent about five more minutes in the Lab with Marcus before going back out into the living area. Donatello was set up on the couch with his crutches nearby, in case he absolutely needed them.

"Where's your girl Donnie?" Luke asked him.

"Same place _yours_ is." He grinned back. "They went up to the surface to run a few errands, and to get a glimpse of the actual sun."

"You're not going to try and go anywhere on that _knee_, are you?"

"Doc, I'm_ not _gonna do nothing but lie in that bed. Don't worry, I'll stay put."

"You can bet on that." Mike piped up from the kitchen doorway, as he carried in a breakfast tray for Donnie. "Leo and I will keep an eye on him Doc. You can go get some sleep already - unless you're hungry, and I'd be happy to feed ya first."

Luke waved him off. "Thanks Mike, but I just feel like crashing. I'll take you up on that later."

As the doctor retreated up the stairs, he ran into Leonardo who was about to come _down_.

"How's he look this morning Doc?" Leonardo said immediately.

"It won't be long Leo, I'm sure of it. I'm beat, would you keep your younger brother under control today?"

"Which one Doc?" Leo said impishly.

"All of them." He smiled tiredly. "I'll catch you in a few hours."

* * *

"Ya'll, I seriously can't take the two of you baby-sitting me." Donatello complained a few minutes later. "Get up, go work out, do _something_. It's been way too long since I heard you blasting Cold Play Leo. Just because _I_ can't run through this stuff, doesn't mean _you_ guys shouldn't."

"You're not gonna try to make a break for it the second we turn our backs?" Leonardo teased him.

"Where am I gonna go Leo?"

"_Please_ don't try to get up for anything bro." Mike said in all firmness. "Is there anything you want before we'd go?"

"Yeah, would you mind grabbing my mp3 player? It was charging back in the bedroom."

* * *

Raphael had been paying very close attention to every sound around him. It was clear that there was only one person in the room now, and he'd been hovering very close by him for the last few minutes. When at last he heard the footsteps walking away, he chanced opening his eyes partly. Through half-closed lids, he made out the stranger that belonged to at least _one_ of the voices for the first time.

The man's back was facing him at the moment, as he was sifting through a spiral bound notebook over on the desk. Raphael began to move ever so slightly on the bed without making a sound, gingerly testing his limbs. His gaze never left the human on the other side of the room, and he was prepared to instantly shut down should the man make any move his direction.

He was alternating between making notations in the book now, and typing something on a keyboard. Raphael eyed the man extremely warily, waiting to see if he was going to do anything else. As Raphael watched him, he realized how much_ clearer _his own thoughts felt now, more so than they had since he woke up a couple of days previously.

Marcus finally logged out of Donatello's software, and pushed aside the notebook he'd been transferring information from. Rather curiously, he picked up the instrument that the turtle's had brought back from Stolle's building again, just to get another close look at it. He was about to set it back down entirely, when he heard a sound from nearby. He jumped to his feet with the device still in hand, and darted in Raphael's direction.

Raphael cursed himself for bumping the machine, even as he'd immediately reverted to feigned unconsciousness. It was much too late for that, the man was coming _back_.

"Raph?" Marcus said hopefully. "Can you hear me?"

_Yes, I can hear you - now get the shell away from me._

He felt a hand on his left shoulder, and tried desperately to control his breathing.

"_C'mon_ Raph, you've gotta snap out of this." Marcus said quietly. "I know you can."

The man waited a few moments for a response, and then sighed, turning slightly away from the turtle. He looked down darkly at Stolle's device, wishing he could crush the thing in his own hand. "I just wanna know what it _does_." He murmured aloud.

The turtle _barely_ opened his eyes when he heard the man's voice projecting away from him, and focused on him for a brief second.

_Is he holding what I think...__no__, no way. I ain't doing this again!_

Raphael groaned intentionally, actually _wanting_ the man to come into close contact this time.

_If I fail, I fail - but I'm __done__ rolling over!_

"Raphael!" Marcus exclaimed more loudly than before, coming immediately to his side.

The turtle's eyes snapped open with sudden force, and he seemed to _explode_ off of the mattress. Leaping up that quickly was dangerous, but he was mentally prepared for it this time. He hurled the man into the adjoining wall, both so he could get control of him, and so he could maintain his _own_ balance with its' support until his equilibrium had stabled out.

One hand was clapped firmly over the human's mouth, and the other wrapped around his throat in a somewhat less than pleasant death grip.

"Not _again_, you hear me? _Never again_!" Raphael seethed into the man's wide-eyed stare. "You work for Stolle? Did he give you one of his _toys_ to play with? Well, I ain't interested!"

Every moment that he stood there, his balance was stabling out to a place that felt much safer.

"You shouldn't 'ave underestimated me." Raphael told the human dangerously. "You have no idea what I'm capable of when I'm desperate. _I_ don't even know for that matter - but I guess I'm going to find out."

He had the distinct impression that the bone in his grasp would be easy to snap, so simple to destroy with the right amount of pressure, and that was exactly what he intended to do. For over sixty seconds he considered the action, willing his fingers to perform the task that his mind had conceived, staring into the terrified brown eyes of his captor the whole time.

_I...I can't do it, _he finally realized. _I don't believe it. After all that, I __still__ can't kill him! It just doesn't feel...ah man, if this doesn't __beat__ all!_

Raphael growled in utter frustration.

_Still, I can't let him follow me either, or call for help._

Without another thought, he released his grip on the man's throat, and punched him solidly in the face. The human collapsed senseless in his grasp, as Raphael nearly dropped him. The turtle looked around swiftly, trying to get his bearings on the rest of the room.

_I need to make sure he's outta the way. Let's see here..._

Raphael took a couple of steps, relieved when his legs easily supported him. The wait had done him some good. He dragged the man back over the desk, and dropped him on top of a chair. The motion had sent spasms of pain through his injured shoulder, but he was beyond caring about it. He yanked a roll of duct tape off the desk and proceeded to bind the man's hands and feet with several wraps of it, and finished by covering his mouth too.

Raphael was satisfied and just about to go his way, when a peculiar sight of something else drew his attention back to the desk.

_Wh...what are those?_

He was drawn irresistibly to the weapons, as if by some powerful outside force. Raphael hefted one of the sai interestedly, amazed by the feeling it produced inside him. It sent what felt like chills of excitement coursing down his spine. The handle felt so natural, so incredibly comfortable in his grasp, as if he'd held it this way a _million_ times before. On an impulse he spun the weapon, shocked by how his hand automatically maneuvered it.

_I've done this before. I've done it __a lot__._

An actual laugh escaped him, as he picked up the other in his left hand. He couldn't help grinning, in a way he felt must have made him look like an idiot.

_How am I supposed to keep a hold of them?_

Raphael scanned the desk area a little bit further, noticing what looked like a leather strap of some kind hanging over one of the other chairs. He went to inspect it, experimentally running his fingers over the material. Not a strap, it was a _belt_, containing flaps that seemed like they'd be a perfect fit for the weapons. Slowly he drew it around his waist, as if still caught in some kind of dream-like state. As he strapped the weapons at his side, the weight made him feel somehow _complete_.

He smiled again, focusing this time on the door. _Time to get while the getting is good._

* * *

Donatello wasn't _really_ asleep, simply resting his eyes while he listened to the musical strains of Lifehouse on his mp3 player. He never heard Raphael coming, and was completely shocked when a blade tip needled his throat. His dark eyes shot open, but he was careful not to jerk too hard with the sharp point still under his chin. He did manage to yank his earphones off, and stared at Raphael in surprise, as if he was an apparition that would vanish before his eyes.

"Not a _sound_, y'hear me?" His brother hissed at him.

"Raph! You--"

The sai indented further threateningly into his skin. "I said _not _a sound!"

Breathing a little more quickly, Donatello peered into his brother's amber eyes.

_Shell, he's gotta be absolutely out of his mind right now. I have to be careful here, I don't want him to hurt himself __or__ me._

"Raph, listen to me, you don't--"

The turtle's firm backhand whipped his head back against the armrest of the couch.

"You think I'm playin' here?" Raphael demanded quietly, then motioning in the direction of the Lab. "I already took out one guy, and I've got no qualms in doing the same with_ you_, if you don't do exactly what I say."

"_You hurt Marc_?" Donatello's voice rose another degree, and Raphael struck him even harder, so that his head was actually buzzing this time.

"You're coming with _me_." Raph said shortly. "You're gonna show me out of this place, and you're gonna answer a few questions. So get up - I want you up _now_."

Afraid to raise his voice again, Donatello tried to quietly reason with him.

"Raph, I'm hurt. I can't go trolling around the sewer, and you shouldn't be either. Let me call the guys, they'll help you. You're gonna be alright, I promise."

"You're not calling_ anyone_!" Raphael snarled at him. "If_ I _can make it around after what I've been through, so can you. Get_ up_."

"I'm begging you to listen to me. I know you're confused right now, I can see that. But everything is going to be alright now, you're_ safe_."

"I'm safe? How exactly does that work with these humans waiting around to _break_ me again?"

"Marc wouldn't _hurt _you Raph, not for anything! None of them would! Now you need to sit down, take a few breaths, and just _listen_ to me."

"I'm tired of listening to other people talk. Now it's my turn." Raphael said darkly, yanking him upright by his arm. "And it's time for you to get me out of here."

"I can't do that." Donatello told him, gasping a little as the blade drew close to his throat again, while also struggling to keep his weight off of his knee entirely. "I can't Raph. If you have to cut me, I guess that's up to you, but I'm not gonna_ let _anything happen to you again."

Raphael shook his head in irritation. "_Okay_. You're _coming_ with me, one way or another. If you wanna do this the hard way, then that's_ your _choice."

He removed his blade from Donatello's throat, brought it up in a swift motion, and rammed the handle over the back of his head.


	30. Questions

About half an hour after Raphael had left with Donatello in tow, Leonardo and Michelangelo were returning to the living area from the practice room. Leonardo crossed his arms when he didn't see Donnie where they'd left him.

"Darn it, _where_ the shell is he? He said he wasn't going anywhere!"

"I don't see how he _could _have." Mike responded, pointing to his nearby crutches. "Check his room why dontcha, and I'll go to the Lab. Maybe Marc had him in there with him or something."

Mike went that direction, while Leonardo headed for the hallway. The oldest turtle barely had a hand on the doorknob of Don and Jen's room, when Mike's voice resounded back across the Den in a clear panic.

"LEO!"

The blue-banded turtle spun on heel, and ran back the way he'd come, more than a little stunned to find Michelangelo kneeling on the floor of the Lab, working feverishly on getting Marcus freed from a desk chair.

"What the _shell_?" Leonardo demanded, his voice getting louder when he noticed how visibly empty Raphael's bed was.

Marcus glanced up at him, still shuddering a bit as Mike tried to hurry with the knife and not cut him at the same time.

"Raph woke up, and he _flipped_ out on me!" Marc exclaimed a little raggedly. "It was like...like he didn't even recognize me!"

Leonardo knelt swiftly beside him as well, lightly fingering the bruise on his cheek. "He hit you?"

"I _told_ you, it was like he didn't know me! He asked if I worked for _Stolle_!" Marcus insisted. "You guys have to find him!"

"Marc, _Donnie's_ gone too." Mike told him, and then looked at Leonardo. "You don't 'spose_ he _went after him?"

"No _way_, not even if he was physically up for it. He would have gotten our help." Leonardo negated.

"Then where is he Leo?" Mike said urgently. "_Both_ of them missing can't bode well!"

"He should have his phone on him, right?" Leonardo suggested.

"I already saw it sitting in the living room."

"Then we can still trace him through his implant, can't we?"

Marcus jerked both arms free, as Mike released him from the last of the tape. "_I'll_ get the software up and running - one of you go wake up Luke!"

* * *

"_Wake_ up."

A foot nudged Donatello's side a little insistently.

"C'mon, wake _up_ already. I'm done lugging your weight."

With a bit of a jolt Donnie came back to himself, lying on his chest on the cold cement. When he tried to use his arms, he found that his wrists had been lashed together by something...it vaguely felt like it had a plastic coating.

_Power cord? _He thought a little foggily, and a moment later felt himself being dragged upright from behind. His first instinct was to _fight_ against his unseen assailant, and he struggled to get out of the strong grip as his captor was merely trying to get both of his feet planted on the solid ground. As he flailed a little helplessly, his knee twisted beneath him at the completely_ wrong _angle.

With the explosion of pain his entire body went slack, and the cry that came out of his mouth even startled Raphael. Donatello slumped backwards to his shell, narrowly avoiding cracking his skull again on the way down.

"_Dagone_ it, what's the matter with you?" Raphael demanded of him, and the purple-banded turtle suddenly recalled the crazy ambush that had taken place,_ prior _to waking up here in the tunnel.

Gasping painfully, he closed his eyes for a long moment, praying that this had all been some stupid nightmare.

Raphael scowled at him. "C'mon, we need to move, and_ you _need to walk."

_'Cause I ain't strong enough to keep pulling you around_, he added silently.

The turtle opened dark eyes to focus on him, and Raphael sensed that he was trying _very_ hard to control his trembling.

"I can't." Donatello said faintly. "I wouldn't make it hardly a step. I'm hurt Raph, I really am."

"I don't have time for this." Raphael muttered, and moved as if to lift him a second time.

"NO," Donatello said as firmly as he could manage. "Don't..._don't_ try to move me. You'd just hurt me more at this rate. Let me be, just leave me down...please..."

Raphael was tempted to throw the turtle over his shoulder and keep going, but a feeling deep in the pit of his stomach wasn't letting him do _anything_ at this particular moment.

_Stolle__ didn't stop when I begged him to_, Raphael thought stubbornly.

_**You're not Stolle, **_an inner voice seemed to say.

_How do you know what I am? I don't even know that! _Raphael argued.

_**You didn't kill the human, didn't even hurt him as badly as you could have. You're not cruel, and you're not heartless.**_

_No, I'm just __lost__, and now I've failed __again__..._Raphael's thought trailed off, as weariness was overtaking him.

He leaned hard against the tunnel wall, sliding to the ground as waves of dizziness crashed over him again. After a few moments he opened his eyes to look at Donatello, who was still perched unmoving himself.

_Well, I'm not going to waste this effort completely_, Raphael thought begrudgingly.

"Who are you?" He asked the purple-banded turtle, actually getting him to sit up partially on his elbows.

"_What_?"

"Did I _stutter_? What's your name?"

Searching brown eyes stared back at him, actually seeming to be more consumed by confusion than by pain at this point.

"I'm...Donatello." He said cautiously, tensing when he saw Raphael's expression darken.

"_You're_ Donatello." He said bitterly. "Isn't that_ something_. Boy, you're _darn_ lucky that I'm too tired to kick the crap outta you."

"Why Raphael?" Donatello ventured, but his brother wouldn't respond to him right away, his angry amber gaze directed toward the ceiling.

Nearly two minutes passed before he'd even look at him again, and even then, he still wasn't talking.

"Where were you going?" Donatello asked him, hoping to connect back to some shred of logic residing in his brother's psyche.

"I don't know, I'm making this up as I go along. Can't you tell?" Raphael said gruffly. "This is what I _do _right? Never _look_ before I leap, something like that?"

The conversation was taking a very odd turn as far as Donatello was concerned. He struggled to sit up a little further, cringing at the pain he'd managed to stimulate with the simple motion.

"I wouldn't say_ never _Raph, that's a little too general."

"No? I'm not impetuous to a fault, constantly getting myself and others into trouble?"

"Why are you asking this?" Donatello was thoroughly bewildered.

"Is that _true_, or isn't it? Forget it, you don't have to answer, I already have the proof right in front of me. And_ you're _the brilliant one right? The one Stolle wanted all _along_." Raphael sat up a bit straighter against the wall, fixing him with a pointed glare. "I'm gonna ask you some questions now, and I _expect_ straight answers from you."

Donatello stared straight back at him, waiting to hear what he would say.

"Who do we work for?"

"I'm sorry?"

"_Who_ do we work for? What branch of the government to do we respond to? Stolle was convinced we were tied up somehow with the FBI."

"Raph, we don't _work_ for anybody! Kat and Greg,_ they're _the federal agents, not us!"

He could tell by Raphael's expression that the turtle didn't remotely believe him.

"Then _what's up _with the tracking device Stolle pulled out of me? That thing sure didn't develop_ naturally_!"

"No, _I_ gave it to you, we _all_ have them Raph. It's for our _protection_."

"I gotta tell you _Donatello_, I don't _feel_ protected."

"Raph, I'm sorry we couldn't get to you sooner! We didn't know how to find you at first, and--"

"You wouldn't have _had _to find me, if you'd _stuck_ around to begin with."

"What are you talking about?"

"_You_ leaving me to face that lunatic on my own, when _you're_ the only one he ever cared about!"

"I didn't _leave_ you Raph, I wasn't even there!"

"Who is this Stolle guy anyway? What's he got against us - or should I say_ you_?"

A sinking feeling had been steadily descending further inside Donatello's chest as Raphael talked, and the more _pointed_ the questions became, the harder it was to believe that he was delusional.

"Raph, you really_ don't _know what's going on, do you? You can't actually remember any of us, can you?"

The amber gaze settled on him with a new fervency. "Brother, if I could _remember_, why would I be dragging your heavy shell all over this sewer?"

* * *

Leonardo, Mike, and Luke had picked up a Slider to chase after Donatello's signal, and they caught up pretty quickly, despite the fact that Raphael had a head start on them. The turtle had struggled to barely make it over a mile and a half on foot, half dragging and half carrying Donatello the whole way, before reaching the limit of what he could physically attain.

They clearly heard their voices before they saw them, and Mike directed the Slider over to the side so all three of them could cautiously approach. Raphael flattened against the wall when he saw the additional shadows coming, fear coursing through his mind.

Luke stopped by Donatello first, dropping to his side with a flashlight in hand.

"Donnie, are you _alright_? What on earth happened?"

"No, I don't think so Doc." He said a little tightly. "It's not good."

Luke set his flashlight down to illuminate his work area, carefully probing his fingers over Donatello's knee as he unwrapped the brace from it. His eyes widened severely when he saw how swollen it already was. He bit his lip extremely hard to keep from exclaiming anything unrepeatable, or making Donatello upset.

"Hang tight for a second Donnie." Luke said, letting out a shaky breath. "I'm going to take care of this - don't you move a muscle."

Leonardo and Michelangelo were slowly walking toward Raphael, rather unnerved by the clear apprehension in their brother's eyes. He bore the look of a cornered wild animal.

"Raph, we're_ not _gonna hurt you." Leonardo tried to assure him. "We just wanna help, understand?"

The turtle bore absolutely no sign of recognizing them, or a willingness to go with them.

"You're not in trouble." Leonardo said softly. "We're not doing anything to you here. We just wanna take you home."

"What if I don't wanna _go_?" Raphael said, a low growl pulsing in his throat.

Leo and Mike each took a step backward, and exchanged a puzzled glance.

"We're not_ threatening _you Raphael. You're not in any shape to be on your own yet. Will you let us help you?" Leonardo asked him.

"I didn't _ask_ for your help." The turtle spat in absolute frustration, not seeming to relax even when they'd backed off slightly.

Luke got to his own feet from conversing with Donatello a moment longer, and pulled Leo aside.

"Leo, Donnie's hurt badly. He didn't come here by choice, Raph forced him...and he said that Raphael sounds _lucid." _Luke told him under his breath.

"Yeah, that makes perfect sense." Leonardo said sarcastically. "Because Raph _always_ makes a habit of jumping Marc and kidnaping Donnie when he's in his _right_ mind."

Meanwhile, Michelangelo was carefully letting Raphael watch him put his weapons down on the ground, and slowly inched toward him.

"It's gonna be alright Raphy. It's just a hand bro, it's not gonna bite." He told him.

As Michelangelo bent near him, Raphael lashed out hard with his leg, catching the turtle directly in the jaw. The force of the blow sent him tumbling over backwards into the water, and Leonardo and Luke quickly sprang back into motion. While Luke rushed to make sure Mike was alright, Leonardo sprang over to pin Raphael down. He ignored the dark glare his brother gave him, only applying the appropriate pressure to keep him firmly planted on the cement.

Michelangelo righted himself almost immediately, only choking slightly to get water out of his lungs. He accepted Luke's offered arm to pull him out, and waved him off. "I'm fine Doc," He said a little breathlessly. "Go help _Leo_ with him."

Luke squeezed his shoulder for an instant, and then hurried over to Raphael with an epi-pen already in hand. He swiftly injected the turtle with the sedative, surprising Leonardo when he followed it with a _second_ dose.

"What did you do that for?"

"We can't have him waking up before he's _contained_ Leo."

"He's not a _prisoner_, he's our brother!" Leonardo insisted.

"Right, and I have an_ inkling _that he's not going to be the least bit cooperative with us Leonardo! We've got to get him home, and I have to get some scans of his brain activity. Can you trust my judgement on this? Please?"

Leonardo gazed at him hard for a moment, and then relented with a sigh. "We don't have a choice, do we?"


	31. Results

Raphael woke with a jerk about an hour later, and immediately found that his limbs and chest were hopelessly pinned again, unable to move more than a couple of inches in any direction. His eyes flickered open at once, and the same Lab that he'd woken up in two days ago came slowly into view.

_Shell buddy, you sure blew __that__ shot. You're right back where you started, and now you're restrained!_

A whimper from across the room snapped him out of his thought, and he craned his neck a little painfully to try and see where it had come from. As his vision focused a bit more, he made out Donatello on another bed, with one of the humans beside him. Raphael recognized the man as the same one he'd _jumped_ before escaping this place, and a lump instantly formed in his throat.

_I can only imagine what he's gonna do to me __now__. Why couldn't Stolle just let me die in peace?_

He heard another hiss of pain from Donnie's direction, and realized that the human was retracting a large gauge needle out of the turtle's knee.

_What, you're getting punished too? I __told__ you those humans were dangerous. 'Oh they wouldn't hurt you, they wouldn't hurt you'. Bull._

"Donnie, _why_ won't you just let Marc give you the pain killer?" Luke demanded over his shoulder, from where he was working at the computer.

"Because I want to be able to focus Doc!" Donatello responded as firmly as he could. "It doesn't hurt _that _bad."

"I'm of half a mind to give it to you whether you want it or not." Luke said warningly. "I know you don't want to fall asleep, but..." The man trailed off slowly, when he realized that Raphael had just tried to move.

He got up quickly from the desk and hurried over to his side. Raphael stared him down savagely, refusing to allow the human to see a trace of fear within his amber eyes.

_I won't beg, not ever again. I don't care __what__ you do to me. Can we just get on with this already?_

"Hi Raph." Luke said evenly to him. "So, apparently you can remember Stolle. The question is, what else is in there?"

_Wouldn't you like to know. Wouldn't __I__ like to know. I ain't talking to you in any case._

The man's gaze wasn't the least bit threatening or angry. It only seemed to read of anxiety, but Raphael still didn't really buy it. When Luke pulled over a chair to sit down by him, the turtle rolled his eyes toward the ceiling in frustration.

_Great, here we go. I get to listen to another human talk. Well bring it on man, you're not gonna make me crack again._

"I know that you're afraid, and you're confused. I want you to know that we're not going to hurt you. I'm sorry that we had to tie you down, but this is as much for your protection as it is ours."

_I fail to see how this protects me._

"You could have really hurt yourself." Luke said gently. "Your body went through a tremendous ordeal, and you're still not ready to be up and around that way."

_No joke Sherlock. What was your first clue?_

"I can't imagine what you must be feeling right now, and I don't know _how_ to convince you that you're among friends. We really don't mean you any harm."

At Luke's last words, Raphael's gaze promptly shifted over to Donatello.

_Yeah, what I'm seeing right in front of me makes that a little hard to believe._

"He's not hurting him intentionally." Luke said, as if reading his thoughts. "He's aspirating the fluid out of the joints in his knee. It's a process that will reduce the swelling faster, and give him a better idea of what kind of injury Donatello is dealing with. A pain killer was _urged_ for the procedure, but your _brother_ doesn't want it." Luke finished pointedly.

All at once, the door to the Lab came flying open with a bang, and it was as if an entire party had decided to crash the room at once. Raphael's eyes widened at the influx of the humans, and then the sight of the two turtles. His brothers...yes, that was probably who they _had_ to be. He recognized them from the tunnel, particularly the blue-banded one that was focusing on him with a nervous glance.

Luke was immediately on his feet, and in the middle of the pack, trying to make his voice heard over theirs'.

"NO, now hold up! You _can't_ come in here this way guys! You're going to freak Raphael out _more_, and Marc and I can't work under these conditions either! I need you to back up, and get _out_ of here. I will be out in a few minutes with some _semblance_ of an explanation for all of you, I promise! But right now, I need you to leave."

As the humans and turtles backpedaled, Luke called after one of them.

"No, not _you_ Jen, you can stay. See if you can talk your husband into taking something for pain."

Raphael strained to see the young woman. She had raven hair that hung in loose waves over her shoulders, and startling light blue eyes that peered back at him inquisitively for a moment, before turning back to Donatello.

_Husband? _Raphael repeated. _That guy can't actually be talking about---_

"Babe, why are you fighting this? You're obviously in pain. You don't have to suffer here." Jenna was instantly trying to reason with him.

"I just wanna hear what Doc has to say on Raph." He replied, then glancing at Marcus. "And I'm waiting on _your _opinion here too."

"I can't tell you very much yet Donnie. You've suffered _some _type of separation here, and I've been drawing off an awful lot of blood out of your joints. _With_ that, there's still a lot of fluid that remains to be removed. I won't be able to get an idea of the full extent of the damage for a couple of days probably, not until the swelling comes down completely. Aspirating the fluid will speed that process up, and help you be more comfortable while you're waiting. At least it _would_ if you'd take the pain killer."

"Is this going to mean surgery again?" Donatello finally asked the question he really wanted to know.

Marcus hesitated. "Probably. If it's a small enough tear, I'm hoping I can reconnect the existing pieces. If it's more severe than that, then..."

"Then it means another graft." Donnie finished bluntly.

"Don't get ahead of things Donnie." Marcus encouraged him. "We have to wait, just wait and see. In the meantime, will you _please_ let me give you the shot?"

The turtle heaved a sharp breath. "Oh fine, whatever you want." He said in a flat, emotionless tone.

Marcus already had the formula standing by, and wasted no time setting up a needle for him.

"I'm gonna give this a couple of minutes to kick in, before I get back on the rest of this. I'll be right back." He told Donnie, and the turtle merely shrugged his shoulders, putting Marcus more on edge than he'd already been.

He went over to the computer where Luke had retreated to, staring at the screen.

"He's upset." Marcus told him quietly.

"Of _course_ he is." Luke answered. "This is a lot to take in." The doctor glanced over at Donatello and Jenna, watching the woman trying to comfort him. "We need to talk to the others about what I saw, before they try to bum-rush the Lab again. But I think we ought go ahead and talk to those two first."

Marcus motioned for Luke to go first, and followed him back over to Donatello's side.

Luke intentionally kept his voice down low. "I think your theory is correct Donatello, at least based on what I've seen. The scans picked up damage to his hippocampal region...it's very likely that we're looking at full blown retrograde amnesia."

"What does that mean for him?" Jenna asked swiftly. "When will he get his memory back?"

"Sometimes it can come in days...months. Sometimes never." Luke admitted outright. "I don't _enjoy_ saying that, but I'm not going to lie to you either."

"Isn't there anything you can do for it?" Jenna pursued.

He shook his head slowly. "No Jen. It's not something we can just wander in and _repair_. The only thing we can actually do is wait, and hope that it corrects_ itself_. Memory often returns partially or completely on its' own, and that's what we're going to have to pray for."

* * *

Luke and Marcus left a couple of minutes later to talk to the others, leaving Donatello and Jenna alone with Raphael. Jenna's fingers lightly stroked Donatello's cheek, worry already etching her own eyes for him.

"Donnie, don't lose hope. Not for him, and not for yourself. We don't know _anything_ for certain yet."

His chocolate brown eyes finally met her gaze. "Jen..." He murmured a little tiredly. "You're not gonna leave, are you?"

"No hon, I'm staying right here." She whispered, and kissed him lightly, reassuringly on the lips.

She heard a gasp from the other side of the room, followed by something that sounded _vaguely_ like a snicker. Jenna straightened up instantly, both hands falling on her hips.

"Is there a _problem_?" She asked tersely.

"You're joking here, right?" Raphael responded. "You and_ him_?"

"Is that _funny _to you?"

"Definitely." He couldn't help laughing slightly. "Hot girl like you with one of the _freaks_...you have to admit that it's kinda funny."

"If you didn't have brain damage, you'd be eating my_ fist _right now." The woman seethed in return.


	32. Reprimand

"Geesh Leo, this is _really_ deep - you could just about use stitches. I _told _you that you can't treat Raphael like he's rational! Right now he's traumatized and he's _desperate_!" Luke told the turtle with a little exasperation.

Leonardo sat completely still against the back of the couch, while the doctor was carefully cleaning the bleeding gash over his lip.

"I'm sorry." He tried to say without being his mouth, so that he wouldn't hinder what Doc was trying to do.

"I _know_ it bothers you to keep him restrained that way, it bugs me too, alright? It is what it is. You've just seen a demonstration of why we can't trust him yet!"

"This is insane." Greg fumed from the chair across from them. "I know he can't help it, but _dang_. What are we supposed to _do_ with him?"

Luke shook his head. "I don't know Greg - but we sure can't keep him tied up forever."

"He still won't talk to you or Marcus?"

"No, he acts like we're not even there," Luke replied. "He'll hardly even look at us." The man paused for a moment, his normally well controlled exterior actually seeming like it might crumble. "It's getting to me. I..._both_ of us are so frustrated. I'd give anything if I could go back to that night, and do something different. I should have just gone and picked up myself, _darn it_!"

"Quit it Doc." Michelangelo told him from behind the couch. "It isn't your fault. They _still_ woulda come after you once you had him back at the house anyway."

"I would have taken him_ home _Mikey." Luke said shortly.

"Then they would have come back _another_ time Doc." Leonardo said evenly.

"Don't _talk_ Leo, I'm trying to finish this up." Luke chided him.

"They're right y'know." Greg said grimly. "They already had you marked, and I don't think they would have minded waiting. Did I tell you the count I had so far of the bugs I pulled out of your place?"

"Do I really want to know?"

"I don't know Luke_, do _you?"

Luke gave him a look, and Greg threw up his hands a little innocently.

"Twenty three, as of today."

"Are you sure you found all of them?"

"_Pretty_ sure Luke, they do emit a faint signal, and I went over the baseboards with a fine-tooth comb. I'll go back over everything that isn't nailed down a few more times, just to be safe...but I'm fairly certain that you're clean."

"That's good to hear at least, not that I'll _ever_ feel safe there again." Luke muttered angrily.

"Well, I just got a call that should make you feel a _little_ safer." Katherine said, as she came down the hallway into the room. "DNA results are in from that building, they've confirmed Stolle—that is, _Greene's_ remains."

"Hallelujah for _that_ anyway." Greg said a little darkly.

"Leo, what did you do?" Kat couldn't help asking when she saw what her _husband_ was doing.

"Take a wild guess hon." Luke answered for him.

"Aw Leo, you didn't. _Tell_ me you didn't?" She groaned.

"He was having some kind of_ episode _- I just wanted to help." Leonardo protested.

"Stop_ talking _Leo." Luke reminded him. "I'm almost done, and then you need to get some ice on it. Please do me a favor, and_ don't _try that again for right now."

"We are gonna have to figure out what to do with him." Greg said morosely. "You really don't think there's anything that can help this process along?"

"I wish there _was_ something Heff." Luke said with a sigh. "But the memory isn't something you can just _reboot_ like a computer. We can sit around and tell him the truth all day long, but it probably isn't going to do any good, especially in this frame of mind he's in."

Katherine noticed then that her sister was still visibly absent. "Is Kari still in the Lab?"

"I got tired to trying to force the 3G card in my laptop to cooperate with me, so yeah. She's using one of Donnie's desktops." Luke replied.

* * *

Raphael had been keeping his mouth shut around the Docs, but whenever they left the room for any given period of time, he'd continued picking at Donatello, trying to elicit some kind of response out of the turtle. The female that was sitting at the computer was of little consequence to him - she'd been there over an hour, only shooting a glare his direction after he'd punched Leonardo out.

Raphael shook his head when he saw Donatello tremble slightly on the bed across from him. The turtle's breath seem to catch in his chest, and his eyes clenched shut for a long moment, as a spasm of pain wracked his nerves. Karina glanced over immediately when he started breathing again, this time quite rapidly.

"Donnie, are you alright? Do I need to get Doc?" She asked him.

"_No_." He said firmly. "It'll pass, I know it will. I don't _need _any drugs, it's not a big deal."

"You can say _that_ again - you don't know the first _thing_ about Hell." Raphael scoffed at him.

"And you don't know the first thing about _me_!" Donatello finally shot back furiously for the first time. "So_ shut _it!"

"Wow, an _actual_ reaction - and it only took_ two _days. I hope you didn't hurt yourself."

Karina tensed in the desk chair, and tried very hard to focus on the screen._ Stay out of it Kari...just stay out of it._

Donatello intentionally turned his head away from his brother, pride rising inside him as he tried to shut down his emotional response to Raphael's constant needling.

"And you're _already_ back to pouting." Raphael remarked. "I'm sure you must have a heck of a brain on you, but you're definitely lacking in other departments. Stolle woulda snapped_ you _like a twig."

Karina bolted up from her chair, hurling the clipboard she'd been working with angrily to the floor. She wasn't going to sit an listen to two more seconds of this. Donatello struggled further upright, as the woman flounced across the room toward Raphael.

"Hey! You don't _talk_ to him like that!" She exclaimed, one finger only inches from his chest.

"No one involved_ you _sweetheart. If a creature can't stand up for himself, he's got no place calling himself a _man_."

The slap of her palm across his face effectively startled _both_ turtles.

"How _dare_ you? You don't have the faintest _idea_ what your family went through to save you! I watched your brother push himself over the edge, not even sleeping for _days_!"

"Karina, _don't!" _Donatello called after her. "He doesn't know what he's doing."

"I don't _buy_ that Donnie - not anymore." Karina replied, not so much as flinching under the fire of those amber eyes. "Deep down, he _knows_. He knows he can't honestly _believe_ a single thing Stolle told him, and that you're only trying to help him. But he's _scared_ and _angry_, so he's lashing out in any way that he can."

The woman paused in her discourse merely to take a breath, and fixed him with a glare of her own. "They all feel sorry for you Raphael, and the truth is, I did too. But I'm not going to _listen_ to you torture your younger brother, or _watch_ you try to physically assault everyone who comes within your reach! Enough is _enough_. They're your _family_. You may not remember them, but you can't _actually_ question the kindness they've shown you."

"You mean like tying me down to this bed?" He shot back.

"The dastardly_ fiends_." Karina said sarcastically. "You about strangled the life out of Marc, and you aggravated an existing injury by trying to abduct Donatello! God _forbid _they should try to protect themselves from you at all!"

"Karina--" Donatello tried to stop her again, but the woman cut him off.

"No, I'm not finished Donnie. They risked their lives to save you Raphael. Donatello was hurt, and he could have _died_ trying to get everyone safely out of that building! My sister and her partner put their _own_ necks on the line to provide a distraction, which _easily _could have gotten them killed too! And yet you have the _nerve_ to treat all of us, every human as if we're no different than Stolle.

I understand that you're upset, and you've been through the unthinkable. But that doesn't excuse you from behavior that you _know_ is wrong. If the _real _Raphael could see you right now, he'd probably kick your shell for the way you're treating your family!"

**He absolutely would, **the inner voice cut in on the woman's tirade.

Raphael suddenly realized that he hadn't blinked in about two minutes time. The angry gaze didn't falter from his features, even though his mind was racing._ I'm just supposed to accept whatever they say, is that it? Shell, this would be so much easier if I could get a clue._

"Must be nice to know me so well." He said rather snidely, only because he couldn't think of anything else to say for the moment.

"I _don't_ know you Raphael, we've never even been formally introduced. If the real you is_ anything _like this, I can't say I'm disappointed." Karina replied testily.

_She doesn't know me? Wow. For the first time in...__however__ long it's been, I feel like I'm on a level playing field._

"He's not like _this_," Donatello spoke up suddenly. "He's _stubborn_, but this is exceptional." The turtle paused for another moment, releasing a painful sigh. "Please stop Karina. Just ignore him, like I'm trying to."

"Are you hearing this?" Karina said only slightly more quietly to Raphael. "He's _still_ defending you. How much proof do you really need?"

Raphael didn't say anything in response for a long minute, his gaze flickering back to Donatello.

"_Whatever_ chick." He said dismissively. "I'll back off if _you_ do."

Karina crossed her arms stoically. "Why don't you just try keeping your mouth shut, and your hands to yourself for awhile? You might actually get out of those restraints before _Christmas_."


	33. Making Up

*** Just so you know, Raph's not done being a bonehead - but he IS done being impossible.**

* * *

Raphael had been dozing lightly for a couple of hours, when a constricting sensation in his shoulder startled him awake with a groan. Marcus glanced over from the desk, immediately reading the situation from there. As he approached the turtle, Raphael grimaced outwardly, as he was physically incapable of getting his limb out of the locked position.

"Hold on." Marcus told him evenly, actually getting Raphael to at least_ look _at him. But when he tried to touch him, the turtle still growled faintly.

"_Stop_ it." Marc said sternly. "Now I'm _not_ going to hurt you - don't you think I would have done that already?"

The man got both hands on his shoulder, and carefully maneuvered it to help stop the seizing cramp. After rotating it for a few seconds, the involuntary spasm _did _subside, and Raphael's gaze softened considerably.

"Better?" Marc asked.

The turtle nodded once, and Marcus let out a small breath.

"You've been restrained for too long. I wager Blackford and Stolle didn't give you _any_ room to breathe, did they? Those cramps are only going to get _worse._" The man finished ruefully, and Raphael detected a slight tremble in his voice.

"Look at me." The human requested. "I _need_ you to, just for a minute okay?"

Uncertain amber eyes met him, as Marcus tried not to shudder.

"If...if I were to let you go, do you think that you can refrain from attacking me Raphael?"

_He's __serious__, isn't he?_

Raphael nodded more firmly than before, and the human sighed softly.

"Don't make me regret this Raph."

The turtle hardly breathed as the human took off the restraints, his tense gaze never leaving Marcus. As he flexed the muscle in his injured arm painfully, the human jumped backwards as if he was going to attack.

"I'm not gonna hurt you." Raphael said gruffly. "I _said_ I wouldn't."

For some reason, he had the impression that his _word_ wasn't something negotiable. The human didn't seem entirely convinced, as Raphael sat up slightly on the bed.

"Thanks." Raphael said a little begrudgingly. "Now _chill_. I mean it, I'm not going anywhere."

Marcus resolutely put one foot in front of the other, forcing himself to go near him again.

"That should help with the spasms, but you still shouldn't really be on your feet. Can you handle staying down without being forced too?"

"After what I've been through, I _welcome_ the rest. I just..." The turtle hesitated for a moment, mulling over his words. The look in Raphael's eyes was more familiar than Marcus had seen at all recently. "I'm sorry - about _before_. I thought that you were gonna _use_ that thing."

"We didn't know what Stolle's intentions were with it." Marcus tried to explain. "We just wanted to make sure that it didn't cause permanent damage."

Raphael shook his head sharply. "No...just _pain_ he said. But I _think_ it's the worst thing I've ever felt."

"Donatello could probably concur with that." Marcus said. "Stolle only got a hand on him briefly, but it was enough time for the man to royally screw him over. Stolle really did his homework." Marcus muttered, as he turned back to the desk to retrieve the device that had been carefully hidden out of sight.

When Raphael saw it in his hand, both fists instantly balled. "What are you doing?" He asked tensely.

"What should have been done days ago." Marc proclaimed, as he dropped the machine on the floor, and proceeded to smash it under his foot as hard as he could.

_Dude might not be half bad._

"So you're...uh..."

"I'm a doctor, I specialize in orthopedics. I'm also your _friend_."

"Why can't I remember you, _any_ of this?" Raphael asked. "Has it got something to do with the headache that won't quit?"

Marcus pulled over a chair, and sat down next to him. "I'm sure that it does. Can you try something for me, and just think back as far as you possibly can? What's the first thing you can remember?"

"Blackford." Raph said simply. "Him and some other guy...they were icing it, I think. Treated me like I was an animal."

"So you woke up with the Bounty Hunters, and no recollection of anything previous to that?"

He shook his head slowly.

"Do you mind if I reconstruct that night a little, see if it helps jar any memories?"

"Go for it." Raphael said a little hopefully.

"We know that the Hunters were paid by Stolle...that they'd been watching Luke, and intended on using him to get to one of you."

"One of who?"

"You or your brothers. Stolle wasn't absolute on who he wanted, or why."

"He _wanted_ Donatello." Raphael murmured.

"Yes, but his plan involved using _whoever_ came into his grasp. He knew that eventually Donatello would be drawn to him, even if he wasn't the target originally captured."

"He _did_ say something like that. What's the deal with Luke, huh? What's he got to do with all this?"

"It's a little bit complicated, but I'll try to sum it up for you. Six months ago, Luke got abducted by a band of men with Mafia ties. You, your brothers, Jenna and I...we all chased after him, ended up in some hokey little town in upstate New York. I won't go into all those details right now. The important thing for you to know is that we managed to rescue him, and left behind a giant mess for the police to clean up. Before the cops could get there, a couple of the man escaped - and Stolle was one of them."

"And then what? He came back to New York, with a serious grudge?"

Marcus shrugged. "We don't know everything...just that he bugged Luke's house, and was watching for an opening to get to one of you. He knew what he needed to in order to find Luke again...and that he would be able to find the rest of you that way as well."

"Go back to_ that _night. How'd I end up with those Hunters, and what happened to make me blank out completely?"

"You got into a small tustle out on the streets - I believe that caused the first injury to your shoulder. It was a completely unrelated incident - but it set the ball in motion for everything else."

"Why would I be out on the street fighting where someone could _see_ me?"

"That's what you and your brothers _do_ Raph, you're vigilantes. You help people."

"So I go out_ looking _for fights?"

"Sort of."

_That __sounds__ like something I'd do anyway_, Raphael thought with amusement. "Okay, somebody hurts me. Then what?"

"Instead of going home, you decided to go see Luke, and have him take care of it. Unfortunately, the Hunters were watching for just such an opportunity. They got to Luke before you arrived, took him captive so they'd be able to get _you _to surrender. You were under control, or so they _thought..._but you ended up managing to escape them. Then they hit the road with Luke, in a pure effort to get you to chase them...and it worked. Sometime in the process of trying to run them down, another car intentionally caused you to crash your bike. You wiped out completely, broke your helmet and everything.

The Hunters never wanted the legal complications that would come with Luke, so a couple of them returned him to the house, left him tied up in the pantry. That's where your brothers found him, when they came looking for _both_ of you. Is any of this ringing a bell?"

Raphael was quiet for a long moment, as if thinking. "No...I can't say it is. Is my memory going to come _back_?"

"We hope so Raph. We sure hope so."

* * *

Katherine was just returning a mug to the kitchen, when her cell phone vibrated. She couldn't help but smile when she saw that it was Brandon.

"Hey bro, what's going on?" She answered.

"Kat, is Karina still staying with you?" He asked, without so much as a hello.

"We've been out of the Brownstone for a few days, but we're still together. Is something wrong?"

"I didn't want to call you like this, but she won't answer my calls, my texts...I don't know what to _do_ here."

"Back up Brandon. What's the matter?"

"She asked me to watch for her mail, so I did. She got this letter, and maybe I shouldn't have opened it, but considering the source that it came from..."

"Who was it from Brandon?"

"_Dad_." He said pointedly.

* * *

Karina was stretching limber muscles, extending her arms out toward the ceiling, and reaching all the way back to the floor. The door to the practice room came sweeping open, and Katherine slammed it shut behind her.

"_Why_ didn't you tell me you've been seeing Dad?" Kat asked without any kind of precursor.

Karina was suddenly very interesting in the wall.

"_Kari!_" Katherine exclaimed angrily when her sister didn't say anything. "How long has this been going on?"

"He's been calling me for a couple of years." Karina said softly. "I didn't start meeting him until about ten months ago." The woman held up her hand to prevent Katherine from saying anything right away. "I know what you're going to say. After what he did to Mom, what he tried to do to you and Brandon...it feels like betrayal. But I never meant to hurt anybody, I wouldn't even _talk_ to him at first. But he didn't give up, and eventually, curiosity got the better of me.

I was _only_ three when Mom kicked him out Kat. I don't have any true memory of him as our father, except for this really vague picture of him in my head. I've always felt like part of me was missing, and I guess I thought if I got some closure, some kind of understanding from him, maybe I could move on with my life. I wouldn't have to wonder anymore."

Katherine slowly sat down on the mat, and motioned for Kari to join her. "Just tell me what happened." She said more gently. "You said Mom's studio had been sold, but that's not the whole story, is it?"

The woman shook her head, shame coloring her features. "I've been struggling Kat, the studio has been struggling. Mom was having issues with taxes that were due on the property already, and when she got sick, things got moved to the back burner. I've been doing my best to keep the place afloat, but I've _barely_ been squeaking by. Then there were all these repairs that the building needed, things I didn't have the money to put into. That's when I let Dad back in completely. He was helping me with several projects, getting the place back into good working order."

"You were _struggling_? Kari why didn't you ever say something? It wasn't your single-handed responsibility to keep the dance studio alive!"

"I _couldn't_ tell you Kat, because I knew exactly what you'd do. You'd come flying home to the rescue, and patch things over the way you've done my entire life. You're so happy, so fulfilled with your work in the FBI, and I wasn't going to let you turn your back on it."

"And Brandon? He didn't seem to know anything was wrong either!"

"Brandon's like you Kat - he's great with his hands in a fight, but when it comes down to the projects that the studio needed, he's all thumbs. I needed help, so I let Dad come in for the last several months. Gradually the issues with finances started coming up too, and I ended up letting him have a in-depth look at everything on the property." Here Karina paused for a long moment, looking away from Katherine.

"I was an _idiot_." She finally said, voice breaking. "He said he had some kind of tax and financial expertise, and he'd been helping me so much, that I trusted him. He had all kinds of different forms, and I didn't understand a lot of the terminology. He transferred the deed into his own name Kat, before I even realized what he was doing. Then he disappeared about three weeks ago, _after _selling the studio right out from underneath me."

"He did _what_?" Katherine exploded.

"I'm so sorry Kat, it really _is_ my fault. I _never _should have let him into my life, let alone my finances!"

"Kari, why didn't you tell me?"

"I was _going_ to," The woman said through tears. "I came here to start over, both my career, _and _my relationship with you. But with all the craziness, stumbling onto the turtles, and everything going on...I just couldn't get it out." Karina paused for another instant. "It's not even the studio so much that hurts me to lose. Keeping it alive was like...like I was keeping a part of _Mom_ alive. Now her dreams, her hard work are all dead, and do you know what the _worst_ part is? Part of me was relieved. That has to be the sickest thing imaginable."

"Relieved for what?"

"I didn't want it Kat, I_ never _wanted it! I did it for Mom, everything has always been for her, and because I was so afraid. I never dreamed of only teaching other people, and I _sure_ never wanted to run the place. I _wanted_ Juilliard. I wanted it so badly I could hardly stand it."

Katherine stared at her younger sister, as if she was looking at her for the first time. "You _settled_? Why Kari? Mom would have loved you, no matter what you did."

"I didn't think I was good enough," Karina replied. "I never _have_. And now I'll _never_ know if I could have made it."

Katherine couldn't control her own tears, as she wrapped both arms around her younger sister. "Kari, I'm sorry! I should have seen something, I should have been aware of you!"

"I've been buried for most of my life Kat - I never would have let anyone see the wildest dreams that resided in my head. I just can't believe that I destroyed Mom's. After everything she went through to keep that place going...he might as well have ripped out my beating heart along with it."


	34. Cereal

*** Nothing but a bit of fluff - just my attempt to lighten the mood I've been creating for the last...29 chapters?**

* * *

Katherine couldn't sleep. She'd thought that getting everything out in the open with Kat would make her feel _better_, but it seemed to have had the opposite effect. Rather than relieving the remotest burden of the guilt, it only served to remind her of how bad she felt for it. As it turned out, not being able to sleep also made her _thirsty_.

She padded down the hallway silently, yawning uselessly as she made her way into the living area. When she got there, she found that the TV was on, but no one was in sight. There was light already coming from under the kitchen door, and she ventured inside to get some water, and find out who else was up.

It happened to be Michelangelo, and Karina couldn't stifle a chuckle when she saw him pouring a bowl of cereal.

"You know, for being such a great cook, you eat an awful lot of cereal."

He grinned at her as he reached for the refrigerator door. "Sometimes convenience is the name of the game. Do you want some?"

She shrugged. _If I can't sleep, I might as __well__ hang out for a bit._

Karina started to reach for the sensible shredded wheat, when Mike came to stop her.

"No, you can't eat anything_ healthy _this late, don't you know that? Only junk after midnight."

She glanced at the box of honey pops that he already had out on the counter. "Isn't that stuff for kids?" She teased lightly.

"'Course it is, that's why it _tastes_ so good. C'mon, I guarantee that they won't kill you."

She shook her head, but ended up accepting the bowl from him. "It's probably been over a year since I ate _any _cereal at all." She commented.

"Geesh, are you kidding? It's practically one of my four food groups."

"And yet you remain in such good shape." She commented, as he passed her the milk.

"Do you have any idea how many calories we burn through in a day?"

"Not a clue," She replied. "Though I _do_ have some familiarity with the concept, from training with competitors."

"Dancing you mean?" He asked as he returned to the fridge. "That's what you do, right?"

"It's what I _used_ to do, among other things. I taught mostly novices and intermediates...some advanced classes. But there were a few times when I stepped in to help professionals, usually because of an injury. You know, your partner gets hurt, but you need to keep moving yourself. I've been known to fill in from time to time."

"Does that mean that you ever got to_ compete_?"

"Once," She replied. "And it wasn't even a very big deal - at least not for them. It was probably the highlight of _my_ year."

Mike was rummaging for something to drink, and held up a can in Karina's direction.

"Caffeine? Seriously?"

"You're not sleepin' anyway, right? You've got your cereal, now complete your journey to the dark side."

"You're a nut." She said dryly, but took the proffered can, and followed him back to the living area. "What are you watching?"

"Rerun of the Fresh Prince."

"Of Bel Air? I didn't know this was still on TV."

"It's classic - I have to watch it when I get the chance. Raph hates this show with a passion."

"Does he like _anything_?"

"Kari, you can't hold this stuff he's doing against him right now. Raph's a _great _guy, and an awesome brother...he just doesn't know it yet." Mike told her.

"Is the big happy family thing all for real? Normally, I mean. How do you guys handle living in such close quarters all the time?"

"We've had our _share _of fights Karina, but we've always come through it." He glanced down at his bowl for a minute. "It's actually kinda weird to do this with somebody else. Raph's been my cereal buddy since we were kids - we could go through an entire box _apiece_ watching TV Saturday mornings."

"And yet you_ still _love the stuff."

"What can I say? There's some stuff y'don't have to outgrow."

* * *

A six year old Michelangelo had already been awake for twenty minutes, when he heard another voice calling to him from the staircase.

"_Mike_." It was barely loud enough for him to hear at all. "Mikey, is the coast clear?"

The young turtle glanced up with a beaming smiled. "Yeah Raphy...nobody's here but me."

"Would you keep it _down_? I'm whisperin' for a reason!"

"_Why_ Raph?"

"If Sensei catches me out of bed, he'll have my _shell_. But I can't just lay there anymore - it's been over a _week_. Shadow puppets are really only funny for so long."

"He's still asleep Raph, c'mon down."

The red-banded turtle was wrapped in an oversized quilt, and had a hard time not tripping over it as he came down the stairs. He plopped down on the couch, beside where Mike was sitting with the remote.

"If I had to stay in my room for ten more minutes, I think I would have lost my mind."

"It's okay, I woulda helped you find it." Mike said with impish smile.

"That's so not funny right now. What've _you_ been doing?"

"Freezing." Mike answered. "But they got the pipes thawed out finally."

"No _duh_ shell-head...how d'you suppose it's warm in here?"

"The snow stopped too."

"Did you get to see any of it?"

Michelangelo shook his head. "Nah, Master said I hada stay here." He pouted slightly, and then brightened. "But he let me guard the fire!"

"_Guard_ the fire? You mean you stood around and watched the trash can?"

"No, I _guarded_ it. It was _really_ important - Sensei said so."

Raphael rolled his eyes at him, as only a nine year old can. "It _sounds_ really important Mikey."

"You don't gotta be _sore_, just 'cause you been stuck upstairs Raphy." Mike made a face at him, and then reached for his bowl.

"Wait, what's that you're eating?" Raphael asked suddenly.

Michelangelo gave him a sly smile. "Sugar Bombs." He replied with a crunch.

"Sensei _never_ brings us that stuff - how'd you get it?"

"Master didn't go on the last supply run. He had t'send Leo and Donnie 'cause he couldn't leave_ you_. I got them to sneak it in for me."

"He _let_ them go to the surface alone?" Raphael could hardly keep his voice down. "That's not _fair_! He never lets any of us do that!"

"We _needed_ stuff Raphy - don't be jealous. I didn't get to go neither."

"You're hardly more than a baby - you shouldn't be up there anyway." Raphael said crossly.

"I am _not_ a baby!" Mike shot back, jumping upright off the couch. "I was _gonna_ share, but you can forget it now!"

"No Mikey, I'm sorry." Raphael said quickly. "Don't get all mad or nothing."

Raphael peered under the coffee table curiously, noticing more than one box. "What have you got there Mike?"

"Nothing for_ you_."

"I _said_ I was sorry Mike. You're not a baby."

His little brother hemmed and hawed for a second, and then smiled brightly. "Okay. I'll get you a bowl - just a second."

He disappeared into the kitchen, and returned a minute later with a bowl and a spoon for him.

"No milk Mikey?"

"The best stuff don't _need_ it." He chuckled. "Which kind do you want?"

"Fill me up half and half. You'd better keep this stuff _hidden_ Mikey, Sensei would never let us load up on it."

"It'll be our little secret Raphy." His brother told him, giving him a long glance before turning back to his cereal.

"What?"

"Nothin'. I was just, that is, we were kinda scared, that's all. Master wouldn't let us near ya, and then not havin' heat or anything...I wanted to make you feel better."

Raphael knuckled him lightly on the shoulder. "I'm okay Mike. It wasn't any fun for awhile, but the last _couple_ of days have just been really boring. And I _missed_ working out, strange as that sounds. I didn't know I'd been having so much fun with it. Did you keep it up at all?"

"Sure, I did all kinds a jumping jacks to stay warm." Mike grinned at him.

"I _did_ end up missing you guys. But at least it's all done now. Mostly anyway." Raphael finished, clearing his throat a little painfully.

The two young turtles settled in for the start of a new episode of Power Rangers, happily munching on their contraband. It wasn't very long before Raphael let his guard down completely, not even bothering to muffle the cough that he hadn't gotten rid of yet.

"Who's out there?" A familiar voice called from the hallway all of a sudden.

Raphael instantly went wide-eyed, and ducked down by the coffee table, motioning for Mike not to give him away.

"It's just me Master." Mike called a little leerily in return.

"Was that you coughing? Are you feeling alright my son?"

"Um, I'm okay. I was just_ pretending_, see?" He made a pathetic attempt to recreate the sound that Raphael had been making, as his Sensei crossed around the couch.

"_Raphael_! What are you _doing_ on the floor?"

* * *

Karina laughed. "I bet you guys got into _so_ much trouble together as kids."

"Some of us more than others." Mike told her. "We were never very good at getting _away_ with anything."


	35. Risks & Rejection

"Donnie, I wish you would have _told_ me that Raph was bugging you." Luke told him quietly, neither of them wanting to wake up Raphael across the room.

"I figured he'd calm down_ eventually _Doc, and it was better than having him _ignore _me completely."

"If he starts to bother you again, let me _know_. I can't believe Marc turned him loose, but it seems like it did _some_ trick. I'm still having a hard time trusting him though."

"I think Karina's right Doc, he understands we're not trying to hurt him. He was just ticked. I guess he sounded pretty rational with Marc though, didn't he?"

Luke shook his head, patting him on the shoulder. "It's a step in the right direction anyway."

Donatello studied the ceiling for a few seconds. "I don't know what to _say _to him. It's one of the weirdest feelings I've ever had." He paused momentarily, and looked at Luke again. "I _hate_ this. It's a _way_ different kind of helpless feeling. When he was just missing, I could_ do _something about it. But now..." He trailed off with a soft sigh, and then glanced down at his knee. "And to top it off, I'm starting _this_ over again."

"I hope you're not already expecting the worst Donnie."

"I don't know _what _to expect here. Do you suppose Marc might actually_ tell _me something today?"

"He'll be up in a few minutes, and we can ask him then." Luke suggested.

* * *

Marcus trotted into the room about half an hour later, coffee already in hand.

"I don't suppose I could steal some of that?" Donatello said hopefully, and both doctors exchanged a glance.

"It's not going to hurt him Luke." Marcus said with a half smile.

"You always _were_ the first one to cave - as clearly evidenced by _yesterday_." Luke chided slightly.

"We couldn't keep him that way Luke, it wasn't even doing any _good_. He wouldn't even _talk _to me until I set him free."

"I'm just relieved he turned out to be _reasonable_. I'll go get you some coffee Donnie...why don't you get the scanner set up to check his knee Marcus? I'm pretty sure the swelling is far enough down for you to get a clear view of it."

* * *

Donatello waited impatiently while Marcus was studying the uploaded image on the desktop. He wanted to ask questions, but he doggedly forced himself to keep his mouth shut, until the doctor came back his direction. Luke was nearby too, waiting to hear what Marc had to say before going to get some sleep of his own.

"It's a difficult situation for me to read Donnie." Marcus admitted finally. "The damage is nowhere near as widespread as it was the first time around. It's not a _complete_ separation, but it isn't a _minor_ one either."

"So what does that mean Marc?" Donatello asked him.

"It means I won't know the extent of the necessary repair, not until I actually get physically in there. It's possible I'll be able to sew the existing piece back in place with that newer technique. But if I'm not fairly _certain _the pieces will stay together, it's going to require taking another graft."

"What are the implications of this Marcus?" Donatello asked the same question Luke was wondering. "You can't just keep replacing these things, can you?"

"Uh...no, not quite Donnie." Marcus said carefully, then hesitating for a long moment.

"Don't you _dare_ hold out on me Marc." Donatello spoke up when he didn't.

"The best case scenario for you would _not_ involve taking a whole new graft Donatello. Not only does that mean a longer recovery period, but it stands a significant risk of actually reducing your overall stability. The only reason I would even go that route is if the damage won't hold up to simply being repaired."

"So are you saying...if you had to do another _graft_, my knee won't recover the way it did before?"

"No, I'm not saying that Donnie. I'm saying that there's an increased_ risk _for further complications if we have to go that direction."

"Complications, as in I'm going to lose function? You know good and well I've studied the possibilities Marc. The question is, what are you _expecting_ to find?"

"I don't know Donatello, that's what I'm telling you. We simply need to get a surgery scheduled, and I have to be prepared to go either way."

Donatello closed his eyes briefly. "I don't _believe_ this." He announced in utter frustration.

"Donnie, don't get upset right now, please?" Luke said quietly. "There's no sense in panicking, right?"

The turtle focused on him for an instant. "Can you guys talk this over, so we can just get it done already? I can't live with the suspense."

* * *

Donatello gave Michelangelo a rather forced smile, when he came in with breakfast about an hour later.

"G'Morning bro." Mike told him.

"Morning." Donatello said softly.

"I hope you're hungry, 'cause I made your favorite cinnamon pancakes. And _you're_ getting the first batch."

Donatello gave him a more grateful look, and accepted the tray from him. "You're the best Mikey."

"I aim to please."

Raphael was just starting to wake up on the other side of the room, and jolted in surprise when he found the orange and white striped tabby cat curled up next to him on the mattress. With a grunt of irritation, he pushed the cat off the bed. Tiger landed on her paws with an arched back, but didn't immediately back away from the turtle.

"Get _lost." _Raphael growled at her. "_Go_, get outta here!"

When the cat persisted in trying to get back up on the bed, Raphael sat up threateningly, and shooed her harder. "I said _beat it_!"

Michelangelo hurried over, and scooped the feline up off the ground. "Raph, y'_can't _treat your cat like that - Tiger adores you!"

"Brother, I don't _care_ if that thing worships and bows down at my feet! If you want it to _live_, keep it away from me!"

Mike shot him a very dirty look. "_Geesh_ Raph, if you could only see yourself right now..."

"You might be _stuck_ with me, so you may as well get used to it!" Raphael snapped back at him. "Get the critter out of here!"

Michelangelo turned and stalked out of the room with Tiger in his arms. Then Raphael shifted his gaze to Donatello.

"What are_ you _looking at?" He half dared him to say something.

_I don't even have the energy to deal with this today, _Donatello thought inwardly, and gave his full attention back to his breakfast.

"Nothing to say this morning?" Raph pushed him.

Donatello cocked his head, as if actually thinking about it. "Hm...nope. Don't think so."

"You wanna get your _girl _back in here to speak _for_ you?"

"If I could_ walk_, I'd be happy to Raph. And Karina's _not_ my girl - I have a wife."

"You just got _all_ these females wrapped around your finger, huh? What's your secret?"

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." Donatello said flatly, and resumed eating as if Raphael wasn't there.

Raphael dropped back onto the mattress a little sullenly. His head was hurting worse this morning, and he rather resented the fact that he was awake at _all. _There was a strange buzzing quality behind it that struck him as a little odd. He released a deep breath, hoping he would merely be able to fall back asleep again, but that was when Marcus returned to the room.

"Hey Raph. What would you say to something hot?"

"I'd_ rather _have somethin' for pain." He grunted.

"I can get that for you, but I'd appreciate you trying to get down some real food too."

"I'm not hungry." He mumbled.

_Those_ were words that Marcus had literally never heard out of his mouth before.

"Can't you just give me something? If it makes me sleep, all the better." Raphael persisted.

"I _second_ that." Donatello muttered under his breath.

Marcus relented, because he knew that Raphael was getting more than enough sustenance from the IV to survive on, and because he didn't feel like arguing with the temperamental turtle. He set up an injection for him, and allowed the turtle to slowly escape back into his own blissful ignorance.


	36. Links

"You're _way_ tense Mikey." Leonardo remarked, as his younger brother clearly forced his way through an exercise. "What happened this morning?"

"Nothing." He answered shortly, and tried to plow ahead with the form he was already in the middle of.

"Don't be like that Mike. Why don't you just tell me what's bothering you?"

"Pick a category." He replied ironically. "Do you realize that Thanksgiving is in two days?"

"It's been on the calender all year." Leonardo said, hoping to elicit some kind of smile from him.

Michelangelo's expression didn't change, and he dropped suddenly flat on the mat, leaning both arms behind his head. "This _sucks_." He proclaimed fiercely.

Leonardo lowered himself into a cross-legged position beside him. "I know it's disappointing."

"That doesn't even _begin_ to describe it Leo. How many links can this chain afford to lose before it breaks entirely?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You _know_ what I mean. The only reason we _survived_ losing Sensei is 'cause we stuck together. Now Raph is off in 'La La Land', and only God knows if we'll get him back. And don't get me started on Donatello."

The minute the last words left his mouth, he instantly regretted them. Mike knew all too well the fragile balance Leonardo still lived with concerning guilt over Donatello's initial injury from years ago.

His brother didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Raph is _still_ in there Mikey, I know he is. His instincts are still operating, to the point that he didn't kill Marcus, even though I'm sure he wanted to. And he even apologized to him yesterday."

"He's still treating Donnie and Tiger like crap." Mike said.

"We _have_ to be patient with him. None of us really know what he went through, or how he feels right now. I'm not willing to give up on him this easily, and I _know_ you aren't either. As for Donnie...we don't have any idea how long of a recovery _could_ be ahead of him yet. But he's been through this awful stuff already, and come out the other side. And this time, we know what he'll need, and we can be prepared to help him in advance."

"You're _okay _Leo?" Mike asked carefully.

He nodded after a second. "I am for right _now_. If Marc gets in there and discovers that the complications could be worse than before...I can't guarantee _anything_ Mikey. I'll do my best to hold it together on my end."

Neither turtle said anything for a minute.

"Have you_ thought _about Thanksgiving at all?" Leonardo asked him.

"Victoria and I had all these plans weeks ago, but I don't see any of that coming together. I doubt anyone's in the mood anyway Leo."

"We're _still_ a family." Leonardo said stubbornly. "It won't be a normal holiday by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't think we should ignore it either. We ought be drawing _together_ right now."

"It would be so much easier if Master were here." Mike mumbled. "I betcha he could snap Raph right out of this."

"Maybe he_ could _have Mike, but it doesn't help anything to think that way. We're _here_, in this time and place...and we should try to focus on what we can do to help this situation."

"Like what Fearless?"

"Like remembering what we _still_ have to be grateful for Mike. Raphael is alive, and in one piece. We're _all _still here, and we have a couple of great new friends. And we've almost made it through a rather interesting year."

Mike snorted. "That's _one_ word for it Leo."

"C'mon Mikey, what do you say? I know it won't be like other years, but I don't want to surrender it entirely. I don't think that's the right thing to do."

"Well...we'd have to move _fast_." Mike said a little forced. "And our girls would have to do some crazy shopping."

"They're pretty tough Mike, I bet they're up for the challenge." Leo offered.

"Oh _alright_...I'll talk to Jenna. Between her, Victoria, April...they can probably come up with what we need."

"What about Katherine and her sister? I'm sure_ they'd _like something to do."

Michelangelo tried not to laugh again. "Kat is a_ fire _hazard, she can't go anywhere near the cooking. But if all the girls went shopping together, they could cover more ground, sort of like divide and conquer."

"Okay Mike, let's get on it already. We're burning daylight."

* * *

Raphael came back around mid-afternoon, feeling rather light-headed, and more cold than he had before. He was a little startled to find Marc in such close proximity with him.

"Sorry Raph, I was just trying to get your temperature."

"What for?"

"You don't look right." The man replied, while staring at the monitor on his scanner. "Yeah, I _thought_ so. You're running a fever."

"What does _that_ mean?"

"It means you need a new IV. I'll be back in a second."

Raphael glanced over at Donatello, while Marcus was retrieving what he needed. It wasn't hard to notice a marked difference in Donatello's countenance than he'd seen previously.

_Boy, he looks like somebody just __died__. What's eating him?_

Marcus came back to switch out an IV solution for a bag of something entirely new. "I'll be back in a minute Raph. You _can_ stay put, can't you?" The man asked pointedly.

"I'm not moving." Raphael answered, never looking away from Donatello.

If the purple-banded turtle _knew_ he was watching him, he gave no indication of it.

"Hey," Raphael said curiously at last. "What's up with you? Are you finally _mad _at me?"

The turtle turned his head to face the other direction, and said nothing in reply. Raphael peered at him a few seconds longer, brow furrowing.

_Why is this even bugging me at all? What do I care if he wants to pout?_

After another beat of silence, he figured he knew _exactly_ why.

_She said __you__ aggravated it moron. If he's hurt __worse__ 'cause of me, of course he's mad. And all I've been doing this whole time is trying to goad some kinda reaction out of him. Have I always been this big of an idiot, or is this a recent development?_

Raphael sat up carefully, bracing both arms against the mattress to steady himself as the room spun slightly. "Donatello?"

"What?" Came the less than cordial reply from across the room.

"What happened to you? Your knee I mean."

"I don't wanna talk about it." He replied, without looking his direction.

"Why? Has it got something to do with _me_?"

"I just don't _want _to, alright? Leave it alone." Donatello answered sharply.

"I ain't trying to upset you here, I'm just trying to figure out what's going on."

"Raph, I'm _not_ getting into this!" The turtle said more forcefully, finally getting a little louder. "Just leave me _alone_."

Luke stuck his head in the door a second later. "Hey. What's going on in here?"

"Doc! I want to get out of here, I want out _right_ now. Can you help me please?" Donatello said the instant he saw him.

"Uh...yeah Donnie, give me a second. I'll get your brothers to help move you back to your room."

* * *

After helping Leonardo and Mike get Donnie settled back in his and Jenna's room, Luke swiftly returned to the Lab. He gave Raphael a sharp look, while he checked the flow of the new formula he was getting to combat the fever.

"_What_ did you say to him?" He finally demanded.

"I didn't say anything!" Raphael said defensively. "Look, I'll _admit _I've been picking at him, but that's not what just happened!"

"Then what was it Raph? I'm not going to let you get away with mistreating him. He doesn't deserve it, and he's dealing with enough here!"

"I just asked him about his knee, that was _all. _He didn't wanna talk about it."

"And you kept pushing?" Luke replied a little softer. "There's a lot of history behind this injury Raph. Let_ him _bring it up if he wants to talk about it for right now. Otherwise, you're better off leaving it alone."


	37. Accomplice

Raphael was very quiet for awhile, at least until Karina ventured inside of the Lab.

"Oh look, it's Miss Slap Happy." He grumbled.

"I need to _work_ Raphael - are the two of us going to have an _issue_ here?"

He shrugged, as if completely unconcerned with her.

"What happened to your brother?" Karina asked him. "Did you finally drive him off?"

"I didn't do anything." The turtle muttered. "He's just ticked at me."

"Well I sure don't blame him Raphael." The woman scowled at him. "You've been a real jerk to him."

"But I wasn't _trying_ to be now! I just asked him about his knee - I wanted to know how it happened to begin with."

Luke glanced in the door before Karina could say anything else.

"Kari, would you hate me if I left for a little while? Kat's been bugging me to try to get to the surface, get a few things done up there. Marc is upstairs if you'd need him."

"I'm fine, as long as you leave me a _sedative_." She said pointedly.

"His hydralin supply should hold for another two hours, and I'll be back before that would even need to be changed. You'll _behave_ for her, won't you Raph?"

The turtle's glance met his innocently. "Can't you give a sick guy a break over here?"

"I don't think it's at all serious Raph, you and your brothers are _known_ to have these kinds of temperature fluctuations after suffering shock. The drug you're on will get it under control. Are you comfortable in the meantime?"

"Just kinda dizzy." He replied honestly, and Luke glanced back at Karina.

"I don't have to go." He told her.

"That's nonsense Luke - get going. We'll be just fine." She assured him.

* * *

Karina was researching available apartments in the city, sifting through dozens of different online listings. Every so often, she found herself glancing over her shoulder at Raphael, struck by the curious look in his eyes. She had come to expect to see the sullen resentment, but there was something _different _behind that amber gaze now.

"What's up with you?" She finally asked him outright. "Are you feeling worse? I can get Marcus in here."

He shook his head slowly. "It ain't that. I don't need any of them messin' more with me."

"They're _helping_ you Raphael."

"I _know_ that, but that isn't...I don't care right now."

"Is something _else_ bothering you then?"

"Donatello." He answered simply. "Do you know how bad he's hurt?"

"I heard the Docs say that he needs surgery, but they don't know how complicated the injury could be yet." Karina told him, a little surprised by the concern in his voice.

"He didn't get mad 'til I asked him about it. Do_ you _know how it happened?"

Karina wheeled her chair around completely to face him, and sat back a little bit. "They said Stolle did something that made it vulnerable again...but no, I don't know how it happened initially."

Raphael forced his way up further on the mattress with a grunt. "I need to talk to him."

"Why?" Karina asked a little guardedly.

"I don't know," He admitted. "I just feel..."

"Guilty?" She supplied.

"It's_ my _fault, ain't it? I'm the one who dragged him outta here."

"But you never wanted to hurt him badly." Karina suggested.

"No..." He trailed off for a moment, looking at the floor. "I need to get up."

"Now hold on Raph--"

"I _have _to go talk to him."

"I'm glad you suddenly _care_ so much, but you're not supposed to be out of bed. Doc said so."

"He's not here."

She crossed her arms firmly, eyes narrowing. "You're _not _going anywhere."

He rolled onto his side, and actually gave her a rather pleading look. "For _whatever_ reason, I'm not gonna be able to relax until I do. I don't know what's going on with me."

"That's what guilt does when you care about someone."

"I don't even _know _him!"

"But you know you're _supposed_ to care." She replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't think I could get any more confused." He said in frustration, and then glanced at her again. "Will you back off, just long enough for me to talk to him?"

"I'm not _letting_ you out of my sight, so if you're going, then I am too."

"I don't need a baby-sitter." He seethed a little.

"Too bad - 'cause it's the only way you're getting out of here."

He gave her a bit of a dark glance. "_Fine_. Together. But you'd better not interfere again."

"If Donnie doesn't want to talk to you, I won't let you force yourself on him. Wait a second, don't rip your IV _out _you idiot! Luke would never trust me _again_. The unit is on wheels, so it can come with us."

"This is ridiculous."

"How badly do you wanna talk to him Raph? Because you know he can't just up and come_ here_."

He muttered something indiscernible, and then stared at her outstretched hand for a moment.

"It isn't a snake Raphael, you don't need to be scared of it." The woman challenged him.

He glared at her a second longer, before allowing her to help him up. The chill that raced down her spine the instant he touched her was so shocking that she almost let go of him. Raphael was only surprised by the fact that he actually _needed_ her help.

"Okay?" She asked after a beat, when she'd found her voice again.

The room still wasn't quite steady.

"Not yet." He murmured.

"This is a bad idea."

"Can't you just give me a _minute_?"

Karina frowned at him, and stayed in close proximity in case of an issue. After a few more seconds had passed, he let out a slow breath.

"Okay. I'm good."

He held onto the portable IV unit with one hand, while Karina walked carefully on his other side, her fingers barely grasping a hold of his left arm. The fact that she was fingering an epi-pen in her free hand didn't escape him.

"You don't trust me." He said bluntly.

"Give me a _reason_ to Raphael." She replied sharply.

_She's so irritating. Why does she have to be in my business at all? This has got nothing to do with her._

Half-way down the hall, he had to pull up short for a second, suddenly feeling more light-headed.

"I _said_ this was a bad idea." The woman spoke up.

"Would you _can_ it already? I'm not interested in your opinion!"

"Would you rather I just _left_ you right here?" She threatened.

"You do what you _want_ sweetheart, I don't need you to hold my hand."

She took a step backward from him with another scowl. "If that's the way it is, I'll just call _Marc_ down here, and _he_ can get you back to the Lab."

"_No_, don't do that." Raphael said grumpily. "I just needed a couple more seconds."

"You said you didn't need me."

"You are bein' a royal pain in the _shell, _do you know that?"

"Takes one to know one."

He sighed in exasperation. "_Alright, _I'm cool. Would you get back over here?"

She merely raised her eyebrows at him, without saying another word.

"Would you come over, _please_?"

"I _knew_ you could ask nicely." She quipped, and returned to his arm to support him.

* * *

Donatello had quite calmly requested to be left alone a couple of hours previously, telling both his brothers and Jenna that he was tired. He didn't really feel like seeing _anyone_ right now. He'd been lying in the same single position for some time, ignoring the book that was sitting beside him on the mattress. When there was a knock at the door, he groaned inwardly.

"Who is it?"

"It's uh...it's Karina Donnie. Can I open the door for a minute?"

_Geesh, what's a guy have to do to get left alone around here?_

"Yeah, c'mon." He answered, somewhat less than enthusiastically.

The woman ducked her head inside a second later. "I'm sorry to bother you...but there's someone out here who_ really _wants to talk to you."

"What's this about?"

"If you don't want to though, I can get him out here."

"_Who_ is it Karina?"

"Raph wants to see you."

"_Raph_? Is he behind that door Kari?"

"Um...what if he was?"

"Karina that _drug_ he's on can make him really dizzy! Is he out there, or isn't he?"

"I'm _here_ Donatello, and I ain't leaving until you talk to me." He heard Raphael say a little gruffly.

Donatello sat up as far as he could against the headboard. "Get him in here Karina."

He shook his head at his older brother, while Karina was grabbing a chair for him.

"For the love of_ Pete _Raph, what were you thinking? Was this really necessary?"

"For some reason, I 'spose it was." Raphael replied, noticing that Donatello was having a very hard time repressing a smile. "What's funny about it?"

"You've just done something like this before, that's all."

"You're confusing the shell out of me Donnie. I thought you were_ really _mad at me, with good reason I guess. It's my fault you're in this mess."

"Raph...I'm not_ mad _at you."

"You coulda fooled me."

"I'm_ not_." He emphasized. "I'm frustrated that I'm in this situation again, I'm afraid of what Marc is going to find...And I don't know how to act with you right now. I'm not sure if I should be telling you a bunch of things to try and help you remember, or if it's better to leave you alone, and let nature take its' course. I'm not angry with you in _any_ case. I'm just overwhelmed, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

"If anyone ought apologize, it's _me_. Not just for stealin' your shell, but for giving you a rough time since. Is this...is it pretty serious?"

"It _could_ be Raph, but let's get something straight here. _Stolle's_ the one at fault here - _he_ put me in this position. So I don't want to hear any guilty talk on your part, capice?"

"Is that the_ truth_?"

"This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for him." Donatello said firmly.

Karina had been sitting by quietly up until this point. "This_ is _an old injury Raphael."

"Is there a particular reason that you didn't wanna talk about it, or was I just gettin' on your nerves?" Raphael asked him.

"Oh, you've _been_ on my nerves alright...But the truth is, it's just not a nice story."

"I don't see how _any_ story that ends in a torn ligament could be a good one." Karina remarked.

"You have _no _idea." Donatello said dryly, then turning back to Raphael's piercing gaze. "But I suppose, if you really care that much, I can tell you. It hasn't come up with the others Karina?"

She shook her head, slightly bewildered. "But if it bothers you, you don't have to talk about it."

"It's better that I just get it out of the way, but please don't breathe a word of it in front of Leonardo unless _he_ brings it up. I wager he could end up in a battle with himself again before this is over."


	38. Balance

Donatello didn't share the _entirety_ of the drawn out ordeal with them, purposefully skipping over Raphael's portion of the dreadful spar that had changed his life, as well as the fact that reconstructive surgery had almost _taken_ his life. He'd decided to only share the details that would satisfy him for now, and if it was actually necessary, the rest could come out later.

As Raphael and Karina were leaving his room a few minutes later, the woman stole an inconspicuous glance of red-banded turtle. His amber gaze was trained in the direction of the floor, obviously troubled.

"Raph?" She said softly. "I know what I said the other day...but he's _right_ y'know. If it wasn't for Stolle, this wouldn't have happened again."

He glanced up at her, seeming to truly _focus_ on her light green eyes for the first time. "I don't know." He murmured, with an extremely weary sigh. "This whole thing is weird. No one should need to hear a narrative on their_ own _history. But I hope he'll be alright...sounds like he's been through plenty already."

As Raphael attempted to take another step, he literally _felt_ his knees buckling. "_Karina_--"

Karina reacted in a split second, catching him firmly under both arms, and bracing her own legs against the floor to help keep him upright. Being held that way produced the strangest sensation Raphael could ever remember feeling before, as he was suddenly transfixed by the woman's eyes now widened in anxiety. The turtle shuddered slightly in her grasp, as he remembered to breathe again.

"I...I think I'm alright." He said, his voice still containing a shaky quality.

The woman didn't let go of him entirely, immediately tugging his left arm over her shoulder. "We're going to take this nice and slow Raph. If you need to stop just speak up, and go ahead and lean on me partially..._yeah_, like that. We'll make it."

He merely nodded at her, as he commanded his limbs to function again.

_Shell, what the heck was that about?_

He gave Karina a sidelong glance as they shuffled back down the hallway.

_She's a lot stronger than she looks. I never woulda figured she could handle that._

As they came back around the corner toward the living area, Leonardo and Michelangelo nearly walked right into them.

"What in the _world_?" Leonardo demanded. "What's going on here?"

"He wasn't _escaping_ or something, he just needed to talk to Donnie." Karina answered quickly. "Now we're heading back to the Lab - and you two didn't _see_ anything, right?"

The two turtles exchanged a mute glance.

"I 'spose we don't _have_ to rat you out, as long as it was for a good reason." Leo said evenly.

"It _was_." Raphael said stoically.

"Well, can we give you a hand here at least?" Mike suggested.

Raphael actually felt a sense of disappointment tugging at his mind as the woman released him to his brothers, but begrudgingly allowed them to support him more easily back into the Lab.

_What's all __this__ about? Get ahold of yourself moron - the chick's been nothin' but a pain in the neck._

He still could hardly keep from smiling slightly as she fussed over him back in the Lab, making certain he hadn't ripped out of his IV entirely during the jaunt. His brothers had only stayed long enough to help get him back into bed, and then left with the promise of silence. Raphael _liked_ the sensation of her long fingers probing his wrist, though he tried very hard not to make eye contact with her while she did it.

Satisfied that he was still properly attached, she released his arm with a light pat, and glanced over in the direction of the computers. Somehow browsing through apartment listings wasn't at the forefront of her thoughts right now.

"Do you need to work?" Raphael asked when he noticed the glance.

"No, not really. I'm just in the middle of trying to find an apartment. I'm a transplant, I've only been here a couple of weeks."

"Right - you know my brothers, but not _me_. How does that work exactly?"

"Luke is married to my sister Katherine..."

"Who...we met at the UN?" Raphael filled in, from what Luke had explained to him earlier that day.

"Yup. And the morning after you were...taken...Luke was supposed to be picking me up from the airport. When he didn't show, I got a cab to bring me to the house in Chelsea. Your brothers had already come up looking for you, when I arrived myself."

"_That_ must have been interesting." Raphael laughed, and then seemed to think for a moment longer. "People aren't _supposed_ to see us, are they?"

"I think all of you avoid that as much as possible."

"Why would they come up in the daytime that way?"

"Because they were _worried_ when you never came home."

The turtle rested his head against the bed with a painful grunt. "I don't have it too shabby here, do I? I sure wish I could make sense of any of it."

"It can still come back to you," Karina encouraged him. "In the meantime, maybe you could try a _little_ harder to keep your mouth under control."

He snorted quietly. "No promises sweetheart."

* * *

(A couple of hours later)

"Jen, are you _sure_ this is the right thing to do? I mean, I hate seeing Mike walk around this way as much as anybody - this just feels a little extreme." Greg was hesitating now.

"Trust me Greg, it _isn't_." She answered with a smile. "Not for _him_ anyway. It's exactly what he needs to loosen up already."

"I'll trust you, but if he gets mad...I_ ain't_ taking the heat for it kid."

"Heff, if you call me a _kid_ one more time, the only one you'll be taking heat from is _me_. Now shut up, and get in the corner. I'll call him."

* * *

The turtle was presently resting his chin in one hand, and seemed to be looking _through_ the TV, rather than actually watching it.

"Mikey!" Jenna's lilting accent rose from the kitchen. "Can you c'mere? I need an experts' opinion on something."

"Yeah, just a sec." He called back half-heartedly, and rose from the couch.

The turtle headed through the kitchen door, cut off in his stride almost instantly when a chocolate cream pie exploded in his face. While he couldn't _see_ a darn thing, he felt at least four additional hits from two different directions. Once over the initial shock, his own laughter was immediately mingling with the humans.

"Aw man...I _never _saw that comin'. May I inquire as to the occasion?"

"I wasn't aware that we needed one." Greg said sardonically, pressing a towel into the turtle's hands.

"Oh, you don't _have_ to have one Heff, it's just nice to." Mike replied, shaking his head at the human. "Welcome to the _club_. I hope you fully understand what you've just enrolled yourself in."

"Whoa, wait a second - this was all _her_ idea!" Greg objected.

"All willing participants are equal partners...I _think_ that's how the rules go." Mikey grinned.

"There are_ rules_?"

"Jen, didn't you teach this boy _anything_?" Mike snickered.

"I figured he could learn all that _retaliation_ junk on the fly Mikey. Speaking of which - I _did_ happen to save one for your own pleasure."

"_Atta girl _Jen."

"Saved one for what?" Greg spoke up, clearly confused as the woman placed the remaining missile in the turtle's hands.

"It's just a little something we provide from time to time during the commission of _pranks_ Heff." Mike explained. "A beautiful concept called _instant _retaliation. The question is, who's gonna get it?"

As if on cue, Leonardo came into the kitchen, stopping in his tracks when he saw Michelangelo from behind.

"Aw, you _guys_! Why didn't you_ tell _me you were going down on him? I would have wanted a piece of the action!" Leonardo laughed openly.

Michelangelo smiled deviously at the two humans. "Ya still _can_ Fearless."

He spun around in his older brother's direction, and promptly shoved the pie in his face.

"Is that a big enough piece for you Leo?" He chortled.

"That is _so_ not fair." Leonardo complained as he rubbed his eyes fiercely, but then actually laughed at Michelangelo again. "Are you _back _now Mikey?"

The turtle punched him lightly in the shoulder. "I never _left_. I was just hibernating." Then he shot another sly look in Greg's direction. "Don't worry Heff, you'll learn all about the finer points of retaliation at a time and place of my choosing."

"What does that mean exactly?" The man had to ask.

"It means you should sleep with your eyes open." Leonardo chuckled. "You mean to say you didn't _know_ what you were getting into?"

"Jenna was a little vague on details." Greg said somewhat darkly.

"It was on a need to know basis." She said with a giggle of her own. "Don't be a scaredy cat Heff - they never_ hurt _each other. That would take away from the whole point of it."

"I think I'm too old for this." Greg groaned.

"Fun doesn't _have _an expiration date - you shoulda learned that much from us by now." Mike informed him.

* * *

*** Absolutely couldn't resist - I do **_**love**_** giving Greg a hard time.**


	39. Lúthien

Jenna came back to the bedroom a few minutes later, peering inside the half-open door for an instant before walking in. Donatello was sitting up against the headboard, completely engrossed in the book in his hands, so that he didn't seem to notice her at first.

"Hey babe." She finally called, sidling up to the side of the bed.

"Oh _hey_ Jen. I didn't realize that all of you were back."

"Yeah, we have been for awhile actually. Are you alright, are you in any pain?"

He shook his head soundly. "I'm okay...I'm sorry about_ earlier_, I'm just a little bit stressed out."

"I know," She said understandingly, as she crawled up onto the mattress next to him. "But _you _know from experience that it doesn't help to cut other people off either."

"I won't Jen. I promise, I'm going to try and stay positive, no matter _what _the results are."

"That's all I could hope for." She told him, then lightly fingering the binding of the book he was holding. "What are you reading?"

"The Silmarillion."

"Tolkien _again_? You've been on this kick for a long time Donnie."

"It isn't a _kick_ Jen, the man was a brilliant writer. A lot of people read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, without ever looking back at the real history behind those stories. I don't think you can _truly _appreciate his writings in the same way, without reading the Silmarillion too."

"Where are you at this time?"

"I was reading about Beren and Lúthien, what's probably the greatest love story that Tolkien ever told."

"What was so special about them Donnie?"

"Well, Beren was a human...and Lúthien was an elf. In those days, the two races were pretty well separated. The kingdom of the elves was hidden, so that it was a near impossibility for a mortal man to merely stumble into it - but that's exactly what Beren did. He'd lived a lot of his life as an outlaw under the reigning evil powers in Middle Earth of that day. His father and all of his kinsmen had been betrayed and murdered - of his family, he was the only survivor. Yet even though there was a giant bounty on his head, Orcs fled from the thought of him, rather than hunting him down. He was an incredible warrior. But by the time he found his way into the elvin kingdom, he was also a tortured and very weary soul, close to a breaking point because of the terrors that had come upon him on the road.

It was in that wood that he saw Lúthien for the first time, as she danced under the moonrise. It was said in that moment that all memory of his former pain departed from him, as he fell instantly in love with her. But she vanished from his sight, and he set forward looking for her for many months, still under a spell of absolute silence. It wasn't until Spring that he saw her again, and then found his voice. He called her _Tin__ú__viel_, daughter of Twilight. And she didn't run from him this time, but took one look at him, then falling under the spell of doom, because she loved him _too_."

"Why should that be considered doomed?"

"Because Beren was a mortal, and being in love with him forced Lúthien to be captured by his _own_ fate. As an elf, she didn't share the same chains of bondage that he did as a human. Her own race did not age, or grow sick and weary after the fashion of the race of men. Despite that, she wasn't willing to turn aside from him.

In an effort to win her hand from her father the King, Beren undertook what should have been an impossible quest - and in the end, it _did_ prove to be his death. But it was said then that Lúthien sang a song that was so heart-wrenching, so beautiful that it reached the ears of the mightiest of the Valar, who had never been so moved to pity as he was at that moment.

And so the Valar gave Lúthien a choice. There was a place called the Blessed Realm, or Valinor, and as an elf, Lúthien was allowed to retreat from her life in Arda to those shores. There she would be able to forget all of the griefs that her life had ever known. But Beren couldn't follow her there, even in death.

Her other choice was to remain in Middle Earth, and Beren would be returned to her there, but with absolutely no guarantee of how long they could both live, or the joys that they would share. She would be, in essence, laying down her immortality, becoming subject to a normal death, just as Beren would be.

She chose the latter of course, forsaking the Blessed Realm and all of her kin, accepting whatever grief might lie in wait...just for the chance to live with the one that she loved."

"So she gave up Paradise forever, to live a single lifetime with Beren?" Jenna verified.

"That's how the story goes."

"Why do you_ like _that?" She laughed.

"I don't know Jen, I guess...in a small way, it reminds me of _you_."

"You see the two of us _doomed_?"

"_No_ Jen, not in that respect. Just that...our fates are bound together. We may not be talking about immortality and Paradise at stake, but I wear chains that you don't have to. You _choose _to."

"You know what the real difference is between the two of us, and the two of them Donnie?"

He shook his head at her.

"It's a beautiful story, but in the end, they're not real. This right here...we _are_."

He leaned over suddenly, lightly drawing her chin toward him. "_That's_ what so amazing Jen." He said more quietly, and kissed her somewhat longingly.

She traced her fingers over his forehead, then resting on the silken material of his mask. "Babe, you're not weighing me down." She reminded him. "I didn't know what living _was_ until I met you."

Jenna drew closer to him on the mattress, enjoying the electricity that still flowed when he grazed her neck. She giggled softly, and then kissed him more eagerly, as he ran a hand through her dark hair.

"I'm glad Doc agreed to release me..." He said a little coyly.

"Little harder to have any fun under the doctor's watch." She agreed. "It's nice to have you back."

"Mm...I couldn't agree more."

She was just relaxing into his embrace again, when she felt him stiffen considerably beneath her. He groaned softly, and Jenna immediately backed off of him.

"I'm _sorry_ hon, are you alright?"

"It's not_ you _Jen, it's these stupid...spasms." He closed his eyes for a long moment, breathing a little more rapidly. "It's alright. I'll be alright."

"I don't want you to _pretend_ for my sake Donnie! Are you honestly going to be okay?"

"I don't know." He said faintly. "I hope so. You'll still love me if I'm lame, won't you?"

"That's not even funny to joke about!" She frowned instantly.

"Aw c'mon Jen...I'm just trying to whistle in the dark."

Her light blue gaze softened, but the inane protectiveness never faltered.

"You really have a lot in common with Lúthien." He told her. "She wasn't_ just _this beautiful elvish princess. When Beren was captured by the enemy, she went after him to help save him herself."

"That _does_ sound familiar." She commented, resting a hand on his forehead again. "Did she save him?"

"Uh huh. But his quest wasn't complete, and he couldn't let it go, because of the oath he'd sworn to her father."

"Typical man." She muttered. "Still have to_ prove _himself I wager."

Donatello shrugged, but then his smile returned. "I'm glad I don't need to - at least not anymore."

"You _never _needed to, not for my sake. You've _always _been so much more than enough Donnie. Your heart alone is worth more than its' weight in gold."

There were suddenly tears in her blue eyes.

"Jen. What is it?"

"Sorry I just...I'd rather be in pain _myself_, than see you like this."

He took a hold of her hand, that had been resting on his temple. "I know you wanna protect me..." He murmured.

"_Somebody's_ got to."

"But I think that...as long as I have you, our family...the other stuff isn't going to matter as much."

He involuntarily gripped her hand harder, as he was wracked by another wave of pain.

"Donnie?"

"Jen, I'm sorry, this isn't gonna work. I need to get it elevated again."

"You need to go back to the Lab?"

He nodded a little morosely.

"Okay." She told him at once. "I'll get some help."

But he hadn't let go of her hand. "Five more minutes."

She nestled carefully at his side, kissing both of his cheeks, and then ending on his lips again. "I love you."

"_Lúthien_..." He barely whispered.

"What did you say Don?"

"I love you too."


	40. Thanksgiving

Raphael was sitting in a chair, across from where Donatello had been set up comfortably on the couch supporting his right knee on the coffee table.

"_Seriously_? Another sing-along?" Raphael complained, shaking his head at the television. "How long_ is _this stupid parade?"

"No one said_ you _had to watch it." Karina told him from the other end of the couch, casting him a warning look.

"What _else _is there to do?" The turtle wondered aloud. "How do we _do _this all the time? I feel like I'm about to suffocate in here."

"You wanna get out of here Raph?" Leonardo called unexpectedly, from behind the couch.

"_Out_? Isn't it daylight?"

"Yeah, but we can just walk underground. It'd probably do you some good anyway. What do _you_ say Doc?" Leonardo asked Luke.

The man nodded after a moment. "He should be fine for that. I mean, don't try to run a _marathon _or anything, but he should be more than physically up to stretching his legs."

"You _wanna_ go Raph?" Leonardo asked again.

The red-banded turtle shrugged slightly. "Okay, I guess."

As he got to his feet, he had to step over Tiger for what felt like the seventeenth time, and muttered something darkly as he shooed her away. Donatello clicked softly to the cat, calling Tiger to come over to him. The cat bolted out of Raphael's way, and hopped up onto the back of the couch. Donnie pulled her down into his lap, rubbing her ears fondly.

"Don't worry Tiger - his grumpy shell will wake up one of these days, and remember that you're his Princess."

* * *

The two older turtles walked in silence for awhile. Raphael's clear discomfort in being alone with him saddened Leonardo, but the turtle tried very hard not to show it. He'd made up his mind not to cram information down Raphael's throat, but to simply supply it when his brother asked for it. It had been nearly ten minutes, before he caught Raphael glancing at him.

"I uh...I never_ thanked _you guys for comin' after me. Karina said you really risked your shells." He said rather suddenly.

"It was nothing_ you _wouldn't have done...or haven't done already." Leonardo told him.

"You mean I get to play _hero_ too?" He said a little ironically, sounding more like himself than he had in days to Leonardo.

The blue-banded turtle smiled. "More often than _not_ it seems. It's kind of our way of life."

"Why?"

Leonardo contemplated his answer for a moment. "Our Sensei...that is, our father was an extraordinary ninjitsu Master. When we were really young, he started teaching_ us _too. It probably began as a way to pass the time, and instill certain values and strength in us. But it grew and expanded, until it became a driving force of our existence.

By the time we were young teenagers, he was letting us come to the surface by ourselves, or together, I _should_ say. There was this one night when you and I were on a supply run, and ended up getting a little sidetracked. We ran across this girl who was being attacked...a few guys were trying to rape her. We'd never officially gotten permission to intervene in that kind of activity, but we _couldn't _just walk by either. We drove the teenagers off...and it was the most incredible feeling I'd _ever_ had to that point. We were afraid to go home and come clean about it, actually considered hiding the fact that it happened at all. But our father was too smart for that."

"Are you saying...that we risk being hurt, or being discovered on the surface, all because of a feeling?" Raphael honestly wanted to know.

"We do it because we _can_ Raph - and because it makes a difference in the lives of the people that we help. And it's actually_ very _rewarding in it's own way."

"What happened to him, our father?"

"He died." Leonardo answered quietly. "His lungs gave out."

Raphael paused in his stride, peering at Leonardo for a long moment. "Do you hate to talk about it?"

"It still _hurts_, if that's what you mean. But no, I don't mind talking about him. I think it helps me to remember him better." Leonardo finished, wincing at his own choice of words.

Raphael was non-plussed. "What was he like?"

Leonardo hesitated to choose his words again. "Sensei was...he was practically a force of nature, tied up in one of the most_ unlikely _packages. His gaze could cut through every _appearance_ or falseness that might be present, and see a person or a situation for what it really was. His wisdom, his strength helped shape every part of our lives. We wouldn't be the clan we are today, if it wasn't for him. Sometimes... I still think I can kind of hear his voice in the back of my mind, trying to remind me of the right thing when I find myself getting stuck."

Raphael digested his words without responding to them, and then glanced back over his shoulder. "You think we ought start heading back? That parade has _got _to be close to being over now."

Leonardo laughed and shook his head at him. "It's nice to know some things never change Raph."

* * *

Raphael found himself a bit overwhelmed by the whole group comprising the humans and his brothers being gathered in one place, but tried to force down a tremor undetected.

_They're your __family__ idiot. Would you just try to __relax__ for awhile?_

He'd been introduced to yet another new face earlier that morning, and it was the same human woman who now greeted him warmly again, not seeming at all bothered by the fact that he didn't know who she was. Victoria showed him to the table, setting him on the end beside Leonardo.

"So _she's_ the other one that we went into the UN after?" Raphael asked Leonardo under his breath.

"That's right Raph, Victoria is Jenna's Mom. She's an incredible woman, really took everything in stride that night. She didn't even know we _existed _in this form before that."

Raphael watched the woman getting everyone else set up at the table, and smiled in spite of himself. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something he really liked about her.

The turtle was astonished not only by the sheer amount of food that had been prepared, but by the apparent complexity that had gone into it as well. He wasn't about to leave a single thing untouched, as _everything_ seemed completely new to him. He was content to focus on food at first, but eventually found himself being drawn into the conversations and interactions going on around him.

His gaze lingered for a little while on Donatello and Jenna. It literally amazed him that the human girl seemed to have such an obvious affinity for Donatello. He hadn't known what to make of it, the first time he'd seen her kiss him in the Lab days ago. But _now _more than ever, the connection between the pair couldn't be denied.

_Donatello seems like a great enough guy...but I still don't get it. She looks so happy with him, but I have to wonder how this works._

His gaze shifted, and he took in the sight of Karina for a few moments. She was sitting across from her sister, talking animatedly, and gesturing as if to make some point clearer. The candlelight glinted off of her dark burnished hair, giving it a slightly more golden appearance than it normally had. She was just now flipping a portion behind her ear, trying to get some unruly strand out of her way.

As if sensing him watching her, she glanced his direction, and their eyes made contact for a couple brief seconds. The green gaze was more relaxed than he'd seen it yet, but there was a small hint of sadness behind it.

_She's trying to sound happier than she really is_, Raphael realized without even trying to.

The flicker of true emotion was controlled again, almost as quickly as it had appeared, and the two broke eye contact.

After she'd looked away, Raphael stole another glance at her, while she was responding to something that Katherine was saying.

_It's so odd, all these humans stooping down to our level. It's Thanksgiving Day, and they choose to spend it __underground__?_

"Hey Raph, you're not full _already_ are you?" Michelangelo asked him, breaking him out of his thought.

"No, I'm...I'm pacing myself." Raphael replied, a little more surely than he felt.

"_That's_ a relief. You're normally up here clamoring for more than one plate at a time." Mike grinned at him.

"I didn't realize that was an _option_." Raphael replied, actually granting his younger brother a real smile. "Did you really do _all _of this?"

"_Hardly_ bro, I had a ton of help from Victoria and Jenna, even Karina pitched in some. It's safe to say that the kitchen skills didn't skip an _entire _generation in the James' family."

"I _heard_ that Mike." Katherine said a little dangerously from a few seats away.

The turtle smiled cheekily in her direction. "They say the truth hurts..."

"So do my_ fists_." The woman returned.

Raphael laughed. "Ya'll take up with some _violent _females, don't you? I'm almost afraid to breathe wrong in here."

As he expected he received a few dirty looks from the girls, but none of them seemed overly serious. The turtle turned and caught Karina's eyes for another instant. She smiled at him in a faintly coy way, which made him wonder if she was really focusing on him at all.

_Man, that is one interesting chick._


	41. Reflexes

"Mikey, I _really_ don't like you up there!" Jenna called to the orange-banded turtle, who was perched somewhat precariously on the ladder several feet above her.

"I've done this with Donnie a million times Jenna." Mike returned. "I_ know _what I'm doing."

He had undertaken the ambitious task of starting to winterize the pipes on his own, a project that he and Donnie historically tackled _together_ around this time every year.

"I don't think you're supposed to be _standing_ on that top rung Mike! Isn't that what the warning label says?"

"Do you know why these things _have_ those labels Jenna? It's just to protect companies from stupid lawsuits. Why do you suppose your hair dryer came with a sticker that said not to use it while you were _sleeping_?"

"That _still _doesn't make it safe for you to be up there!" Jenna shot back, still grasping the ladder from on the opposite side of him. "Would you _please _come down a couple?"

"I have a hard enough time reaching as it is." The turtle replied, throwing a grin back over his shoulder at the woman.

Raphael was coming down the stairs now, and took in the curious sight of his younger brother trying to impersonate a circus act.

"What are you doin' up there?" Raphael asked, then catching a nervous Jenna's eye.

"Workin' Raph, that and getting on Jenna's nerves."

"I bet ya don't have a hard time doing that." Raphael cracked, as he came to watch the scene from behind the couch.

"I _swear_ Mike, I'm counting to three, and you'd better be in a safer spot!" Jenna urged him.

"Or _what _sweetheart? You gonna drag his shell off that thing?" Raphael smirked.

"Don't put it past her Raph." Mike chortled.

"ONE."

"_Alright _Jenna, I'm comin'." He assured her, immediately reaching one foot down to the first rung off the top. As he started to drop the other, he missed the rung entirely, and wavered somewhat unsteadily.

Jenna had been securing the ladder from the blind side, and her first clue that anything was wrong came when Mike flailed with air for something to grab onto. The very weight on his back was working against him, giving no room for correction in that position.

Raphael acted in a split second with absolutely no time to think about it, diving over both the couch and the coffee table. He barely arrived in time to prevent his brother's head from hitting the cement, as the younger turtle crashed down on top of him.

Raphael growled something unrepeatable when Michelangelo planted a kiss on his forehead.

"My hero!"

"Get _offa_ me you bonehead! Are you _tryin' _to end up like me?"

Michelangelo scrambled upright off of him, as Leonardo was dashing into the living area from the hallway.

"Didn't I _tell _you to wait for me?" The blue-banded turtle demanded of him.

"I was just trying to get a jump start Fearless - I'm sorry." Mike said a little tightly.

"The Docs have _enough_ on their plate without adding you to the list Mikey!" Leonardo reprimanded him.

"Raph, are _you_ alright?" Jenna was asking an instant later.

"I'm _fine_." He said shortly, and then shot a very quizzical look in Leonardo's direction. "But _how'd_ I do that?"

"You have ninja reflexes." Leonardo answered. "Although you don't remember it with your conscious mind, your body has all kinds of skills that you're not even aware of right now. You kick_ shell _Raph."

A half smile crept onto the turtle's face. "I _guess_ that makes sense. Do you 'spose I could do _other_ stuff?"

"There's only one way to find out. C'mon Mike, the winterizing can wait for a couple of hours. I think it's time for a demonstration to show our dear brother what we're made of."

"Is this gonna hurt Leo?" Mike immediately groaned.

"Not as much as falling on your _neck_ would have." Leonardo answered sharply, and then grinned at Raphael. "C'mon bro - I'm hoping this will make you feel more like yourself again."

* * *

Leonardo and Michelangelo exchanged blows for a few minutes first, giving Raphael a _small _view of what they were actually capable of. When Leo turned back to include Raphael, he saw a faint glimmer of the old fire in his eyes, and was slightly encouraged.

"Do you think it can come back to me?" Raphael asked him.

Leonardo held out his arms to demonstrate his unknowing. "It seems like your body remembers at least some of the old motions - as evidenced by your reaction a few minutes ago. I'm interested to see what happens if we hit the basics. I'm going to advise you not to try to _think_ about this too much at first. Watch me, and I'll walk you through a couple of things step by step.

I want to put you in the guard stance first. Step back with your right leg, and draw your arms up - right, exactly like Mike and I were doing. Your elbows are in place to protect your chest, and your fists are up to guard your face. Shoulder facing _toward_ your opponent, chin bent down. You've gotta always protect your chin, it's one of the most vulnerable areas for getting knocked out."

"I have some personal experience in that area." Raph said dryly.

"Now your balance is extremely important here. You don't want to be standing straight on, bend your knees, and imagine that you're digging your feet into the floor. When you go to actually hit someone, the action you perform with your knees is _vital_. Is any of this sounding remotely familiar?"

"Like I've heard it before? No. But when I hit Marcus that first time in the Lab, I fell _into_ this exact position. And the blow didn't _feel_ like it came from my arm, it started...lower."

"That's right Raph - because the _real _power behind your blows comes through your _legs_ first, up your body, and out the muscles in your arm. You can maintain your balance _and _attack at the same time, without actually having to move your feet at all. Start off the jab by _leaning _into your target, and punching out with your knuckles - then it's a swift return back to your chest. Your _breathing_ here is really important too. You want to focus on intentionally breathing through your stomach, not just out your throat. The motion will help you to generate even _more_ power, as well as a kind of snapping effect."

Leonardo demonstrated exactly what it was supposed to sound like, and encouraged him to practice the move.

"That's good Raph, now step out of it...and back in. Keep switching arms, get comfortable using both of them. A ninja uses every limb at his disposal, not just his favored one. Try it faster now...that's it."

Raphael felt a little clumsy at first, but tried to put the thought of looking stupid out of his head. _Don't think. Shell, I can do __that__._

The breathing helped relax his form even more, as he started stretching further under Leonardo's guidance.

"How does it _feel_ Raph?"

The turtle didn't answer right away, as he threw himself into a harder lunge. "Can you get a picture of a steel cable, wrapped around and around - until it's so tight, it can't hardly budge?"

"I'm with you Raph..."

"It's unraveling, but it's still kinda...constricting."

Leonardo motioned for him to follow him across the mat. "You can release that bound up energy. _This _is your best friend Raph, has been for years." The blue banded turtle said sardonically, patting the punching bag beside him. "It can handle your abuse - so just try to let it out."

Raphael started out slowly, drawing out more power as the minutes passed. With the action he felt himself falling into a rhythm, without even trying to.

"Right, shoulders back...no, you don't have to ease up just because I'm talking to you." Leonardo instructed from the side, his smile growing.

Regardless of the fact that it had been a beginner's lesson, Raphael's consistent stance and fluidity attested to the years his body had spent conditioning. He was only breathing a little hard when he stopped a few minutes later, swiping a hand across his forehead.

"_That's_ good stuff brother. Show me something else." He requested.

Leonardo turned toward Michelangelo, who'd been sitting quietly by observing. "You're up Mikey."

His orange-banded brother was a little startled, but quickly got to his feet. "Uh..._okay_. C'mon back over here Raph, return to the guard position, and I'll take you through a round kick. We'll start out _lower_ to begin with, until you're really sure of your balance. Arms up on the defensive - always remember that. Now slowly, try bringing your left knee up, angle it parallel to your chest. Does that feel alright? You should be able to easily maintain your balance with the one leg, but I want to make sure you're got it before we go anywhere."

"Yeah Mike, it's cool."

"Okay, so your knee is angled - now stretch it out, so that you're completely pointing your toes. In this particular move, you should end up having your toes, knee, and shoulder completely aligned. Then you're going in with a swift snapping motion where the leg comes out, and directly back to your chest. Remember to breathe."

Leonardo felt someone's eyes boring into him, and glanced over at the door where Luke was watching them. He left Mike working with Raphael, and allowed the human to pull him into the hall.

"Is this a good idea?" Luke whispered to him. "He's still volatile. I'm not sure teaching him how to fight is the best course of action."

"We're not_ teaching _him to fight Doc, we're_ reminding _him. The power and repetitive motion for those moves is still locked up inside him, and he can access it by _reflex_. I think that channeling that energy into the proper katas will actually make him _less_ dangerous Doc. At the same time, I'm hoping that it will help him work out a lot of the frustration he's carrying around."

"And it ought give him another layer of comfort in being able to relate to you." Luke said thoughtfully.

"_Exactly_. It could be just what he needs."

"I guess you know what you're doing - but I still wouldn't be _sparring _with him if I were you."

"Not a chance Doc - he doesn't even know his own _strength_ yet. We won't give him any excuse to get his hands on us, believe me."


	42. Shadows of the Past

*** I found that Jenna's emotions in this chapter were **_**extraordinarily**_** easy for me to stir up, probably because of the fears I've had for my father over the years. Partially because of losing my mother when I was young, I've lived under the fear of also losing my father for a long time. Not without good reason to be honest - my **_**grandfather**_** died of a sudden heart attack when he was in his early fifties, and my own father has had heart issues of his own for years. I'll never forget the day that my step-mother confirmed for me that medication is the only thing keeping my father alive.**

**A couple of years ago my dad was having issues with a racing heart rate, that just wouldn't quit. They had him in a the hospital for a few days while they tried to get it under control through medication, and it didn't work. They ended up deciding on doing an outpatient procedure, which would involve pushing his heart extremely hard, so the doctor could see exactly where the trouble was, and they could use a technique with an ablation to correct it.**

**My mom, older sister, and I waited and waited in the outpatient area for some kind of news. It wasn't even an open heart surgery, we just expected everything to go very smoothly. But then it was taking longer than it should have. Finally the doctor came out with some paperwork he needed my step-mom to sign, for the go ahead to put in a **_**defibrillator**_**. In the process of pushing his heart that hard, he'd actually flatlined. They had to shock him a couple of times to get him back.**

**We held it together until the doctor walked away, and then all three of us just bawled. Still, I can't say that I'm disappointed that he HAS the defibrillator - it feels like sort of an extra insurance policy, just in case he ever needs it. Wow - sorry for writing so much.**

* * *

Jenna was holding her breath inwardly, even as she tried to smile to smile normally for Donatello. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, knowing full well how tense she was, regardless of the way she tried to mask it from him. He drew her hand up to his mouth, kissing it lightly.

"It's going to be alright Jen." He said firmly, glancing over across the room to where Luke and Marcus were still conferring. "It _is_. They know what they're doing - don't forget that."

She didn't say anything, merely leaned over to bed to kiss him a swift goodbye, before she lost it completely. The moment Jenna was on the other side of the Lab door, the dam immediately burst, and great tears came to the surface. Victoria was heading in that direction anyway, having resumed her old responsibility as an assistant to Luke and Marcus, just as an extra set of hands for retrieval.

She caught Jenna up at once, holding her daughter as she sobbed shakily, for once heedless of anyone else who saw it in the living area.

"Shh...it's going to be alright Jenna..." Victoria tried to tell her. "It won't be like last time. They fixed it, remember? It _won't_ be like last time."

"You can't_ know _that!" She choked out, but then let go of her mother a moment later. "They're waiting on you - you'd better go Mom. Just take _care_ of him for me?"

Victoria had no choice but to leave her, and then Jenna briefly looked over at the others sitting nearby. With a sharp breath she hurried out of the room, down the hall to escape to her and Donnie's bedroom. When Kat started to rise, Leonardo quickly stopped her.

"Don't." He said evenly. "She doesn't like for people to see her cry - not even us."

Raphael shifted uncomfortably on the couch, glancing around the room at April, Katherine, and Karina, then turned back toward his brothers. _Everyone_ was on edge, and he'd certainly never seen Jenna's tough exterior so much as falter.

"What's going on?" Raphael finally ventured aloud. "What's wrong with Jenna?"

"She's just worried about Donnie bro - there are _always_ risks as far as surgery is concerned, particularly for us." Leonardo explained to him.

"What happened last time? What was Victoria talking about?" Raphael continued.

Leonardo and Michelangelo exchanged a tense glance, and the red-banded turtle growled softly.

"It feels an_ awful _lot like you're hiding something from me." He said accusingly. "Does _anybody_ wanna tell me what's going on?"

"The last time...the last time Donnie went in for surgery, it didn't _end_ so well." Leonardo admitted. "The procedure itself was successful, Marcus is an incredible surgeon - one of the best in his field."

"Then what was the problem?"

"It marked the first time that any of us had been completely under anesthetic. We didn't even have one available to us before that point. Donnie had spent a good month on reworking a natural substance - something I think the army used during one of the World Wars."

"Hold up here - are you telling me he created his _own_ drug for that?"

"Raph, Donnie and Luke are actually responsible for _all _of our formulas. We have sort of a hyper-sensitivity to conventional medicine. Our Sensei used natural and herbal remedies for us when we were growing up, very successfully I might add. But as we got older, Donatello recognized the necessity for stronger meds, and started undertaking it on his own. After Luke came along, they partnered together on it.

A drug reaction was actually the reason Luke was introduced into our world to begin with - on the same day that Donnie met Jenna for the first time. In the process of saving her life, he got hit by a tranquilizer. It was _killing_ him...and there was nothing any of us could do about it. That was when we asked April to let him in."

"'Cause...they used to be neighbors." Raphael verified.

"Yup, they'd been friends for a few months already." Leonardo answered.

"Take me back to the surgery. What went wrong?"

"They were nervous about using an anesthetic period, because of the sheer strength of the dose that was required. Their concerns were warranted, because when he actually received the drug for the procedure, it knocked him out_ too _much. He fell into what was practically a vegetative state, and stayed there for almost a week. He went into complete respiratory failure as they were finishing the surgery, because his body's normal reflex to breathe completely quit. Donnie was on a ventilator...it was the _only_ thing keeping him alive."

"Holy shell." Raphael said under his breath. "He failed to _mention_ that part. Is he on the same thing_ now_?"

"Same drug, different form." April spoke up. "The liquid base allowed for too much of a concentration in his blood stream. Donatello and Doc changed it into a gas, with much better results."

"That's right, I've already been on it," Mike said suddenly. "When they had to pull a bullet out of me a couple of years ago. It was no sweat."

"But has Donatello had it since?"

"No, which is obviously why Jenna's having such a hard time with it. It was an _incredibly_ frightening time for all of us." Leonardo said.

* * *

The raven haired girl returned to sit with them a few minutes later, without saying so much as a single word. All former talk of the past immediately ceased, and everyone else lapsed into silence too. It had been a little over an hour since Victoria went into the Lab, before the door cracked open again. Luke appeared under the doorway, and gave the room a reassuring smile.

"Hey everybody. You're alright - don't everybody get up. We're finished in here, and everything went smoothly. Marcus was able to do the repair, without having to take another graft, so that's _very_ good news."

"How's he doing?" Leonardo got out first.

"All of his vitals are stable, brain activity is normal. He's doing well."

"How long do you think he'll be out?" Jenna spoke up next.

Luke shook his head. "Sorry Jen, I can't tell you that. I expect he'll come around without a problem, it's just a matter of time."

"Can I be with him?" She asked a little pleadingly.

"Of course you can. Go on ahead in, and I'll be back inside in just a minute." Luke told her.

She was off like a shot, and Luke came further into the room to finish talking with the others.

"So what now Doc?" Mike asked the man. "How long will he be out of commission?"

"With any luck, and his usual hard work, he should be back on his feet completely in about six to eight weeks. We'll keep a brace on it for at least a couple of months after that, but it shouldn't really restrict him too much. He'll probably be able to start therapy on it in a couple of days, and get around on crutches a little bit too."

"Will he have very much pain?" Karina asked him.

"There will be some, that's kind of unavoidable. But he's certainly been through worse. It's simply going to be a matter of him not pushing it _too _hard."

"We'll keep an eye on him Doc," Mike said quickly. "We'll make _sure_ his shell takes it easy."

* * *

"There's something I don't understand." Raphael said, a couple of minutes after Luke had returned to the Lab. "You guys are pretty protective of each other, aren't you?"

"To put it lightly." Katherine volunteered.

"What happened that day when Leo came down so hard on Donatello?" Raphael forced himself to ask. "I don't wanna upset anybody, it's just...it keeps coming back to me. You said you guys were always sparring partners Mike. Were you around while it was going on?"

"I was there Raph, but I was very much_ occupied _at the...time." Mike finished uncertainly, shooting another look in Leo's direction.

"What's_ that _for?" Raphael demanded in exasperation. He had learned to be very wary of the glances the two turtles often exchanged around him. "What are you hiding from me _now_?"

Leonardo winced openly, and then sighed. "Well it...it's complicated Raph."

The turtle's eyes narrowed. "What am I missing here?"

"I think we should just..." Michelangelo trailed off, looking at Leonardo imploringly.

"Don't yank my chain!" Raphael exclaimed over him. "Tell me what happened!"

"Mike couldn't help Donnie, because I talked you into keeping him busy." Leonardo finally said quickly.

"Busy how? Are you sayin' I was in on the whole thing?"

"It was my idea Raph, and I manipulated you into helping me, going along with it."

Raphael stared him down for a long moment. "When I asked Donatello about this, he didn't tell me..."

The turtle's gaze darkened as he got suddenly to his feet. "Is_ this _how it's gonna be from now on? You get to decide what I know, hold back whatever you don't feel like telling me? Who gave you the_ right _to do that? What _else_ are you hiding from me?"

"We're not trying to hide anything from you Raph." Leonardo said quietly, keeping his voice calm. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you. It's hard to know what the right thing to do is here. But we're _trying_ Raph, you've gotta believe me."

"How the _shell _am I supposed to believe you, when you aren't even being_ honest _with me?" Raphael fumed. "You keep on with your secret looks and your precious memories, making all these decisions _for_ me. Well you can just count me out _completely_, 'cause I don't want anything to do with it!"

The turtle stalked out of the room toward the stairs, leaving Leonardo shaking his head.

"I thought that went _particularly_ well, don't you?" He muttered.

Before anyone else could say anything, Karina was on her feet again, heading in the direction he'd gone.

"Karina, this isn't your problem." Leonardo called after her.

The woman glanced over her shoulder at him briefly. "It's better if I go - you guys are _still_ going really easy on him. Just let me try it my way first, alright?"


	43. Reason & Request

Karina _tried _knocking at his door first.

"_Not _interested." Was the only reply.

"Raph, I'm not leaving. So you can pout in there as long as you want, and I'll just keep right on knocking. Or you can let me in, and we can talk like two adults."

The door opened with a giant huff. "You've got five minutes sweetheart - so make 'em count."

Karina slipped through the half-way open door, fixing the turtle with a glare.

"Are you_ really _this angry with them, or are you just looking for an _excuse_ to be mad Raph?"

"Karina, _I_ didn't do anything wrong here! They're the ones lying to me, holding stuff back! You were _there_, you know Donatello didn't breathe a word of it! And it was pulling teeth to get the _others_ to tell me! I can't _live_ like this for the rest of my life, always wondering what they aren't telling me, what they're _choosing_ to hold back. They're _my_ memories too dagone it! They're supposed to be helping me find myself again, not burying things further out of my reach!"

The turtle stopped to take a breath, letting it out slowly. "I've been trying Karina, I _really_ have. I wanna trust them, but I'm kind of starting from scratch here, do you understand that? How am I supposed to believe a word they say, when they're only trying to_ handle _me?"

"Raph, _you_ must have some understanding of_ why _they wouldn't want to tell you something like that. Now I'm _not_ saying that they should be hiding things from you. But I have a strong feeling that Donatello was only trying to _protect_ you."

"From the truth? From the fact that I was apparently as big of a jerk in my _past_ as I am right _now_?"

"All of your brothers have told me that you guys experienced your ups and downs as teenagers Raph. But Donatello _also_ told me that the four of you are closer now than you've ever been before."

"_Were_ closer." Raphael corrected somewhat bitterly. "Now I'm stuck on the outside tryin' to look in. There are some days when I just don't wanna _deal_ with all this. It would be so much easier to back out completely."

"I know you don't really want to do that. Against all odds, you already care about them."

"Well, I'm not_ trying _to." He grumbled.

"But you do. You don't _actually_ want to give up on them, or the hope of getting your memory back."

"How do you know that?"

"Because you're still _here_ Raph. You're not chained up now. The door's been there this whole time, and you haven't tried to get away _once_. So why don't you come back downstairs...and let them tell you the whole thing."

"I'm not sure if I really wanna hear it."

"That's up to you Raph - but you're the one who was so concerned with the whole truth."

"Will it get you offa my shell for awhile?"

"For the time being anyway."

* * *

Leonardo was _very_ surprised to see the two descending so soon. Even in his completely rational state, Raphael usually took a lot longer than that to calm down.

The red-banded turtle folded his arms with a bit of a scowl. "Who wants to start over here? And I expect you to fill in _all _the blanks this time."

Leonardo motioned for him to sit down. "Alright Raph. The truth is, I felt like I needed to teach Donatello a lesson...but I knew Mike would never sit by and _watch_. You tried to talk me out of it, but I coerced you into keeping him out of my way. I never _planned_ on hurting him that badly, never intended to take it so far. I lost control."

"What was my part in it?"

"Donnie was sparrin' with Leo - which meant_ you _were sparrin' with _me_." Mike told him quietly.

"Did I hurt you?"

Michelangelo nodded. "Not as bad as Leo did Donnie...nothing...well, nothing permanent."

"Donatello managed to mace me, forced me off of him. I _still_ wasn't seeing straight, I walked out completely. And that was when you really came through for them Raph." Leonardo continued.

"How's that?"

"Donnie was in terrible shape, and I wasn't in a position to do much for him either." Mike replied. "The phones were acting up, and we couldn't get ahold of Luke. You came back to help us, did whatever you possibly could, until Jenna came back down after school. Donnie could have been up a _creek_ if you hadn't been there Raph."

"You _wanted _my help after I attacked you?"

"I didn't feel like I had a choice." Mike said honestly. "And in the end...Leo ended up being the only one I was really _mad_ at."

Raphael looked slowly between the both of them. "What happened after that?"

"This was_ before _Marc was in the picture, so surgery wasn't even an option." Leonardo said. "Luke is great with trauma, but he couldn't do a reconstruction. He had Donnie on rest and physical therapy...but it wasn't enough. The damage was too severe, it wasn't going to just heal on its' own. Over the course of a year, he learned to live with a lot of the pain, really tried to hide it from us.

Donatello tried to reach out to me so many times - he just wanted everything to be okay between us. But I was so ashamed, so guilty for what I'd done...I couldn't hardly look at him. I actually avoided him as much as I possibly could, and made a bad situation even _worse_."

"How did you fix it?"

"It wasn't easy...and I wasn't the _only_ one dealing with guilt. You were too. You blamed yourself very strongly, because you didn't stop it. I'm sure that's why Donatello didn't want to tell you the whole truth to begin with." Leonardo finished.

"I _don't _like you guys hiding stuff from me. Enough with these_ looks _between the two of you. _How_ am I supposed to keep hoping to find some shred of myself, if you're blocking me?"

"Okay Raph." Leonardo said quickly. "We're gonna be real and honest with you - I promise."

* * *

A couple of minutes later, Leonardo caught Karina's eye, gesturing slightly with his head in the direction of the kitchen.

"I think I'm going to go get some coffee on." The woman immediately announced to the room.

"That sounds like a good idea Karina, I'll help you with that." Leo spoke up, before anyone else could get a word out.

They both retreated to the kitchen, and Leonardo made sure that the door was tightly closed, while Karina was starting to fill the carafe with water.

"What's up Leo?"

He sighed quietly, as he pulled out a kitchen chair. "You're planning on going back to the surface with Katherine, aren't you?"

"That was my intention. I'm hoping I won't have to stay with her and Luke for very long. I have some appointments set up for tomorrow, to go see a couple of different apartments. I think I've definitely intruded on your family long enough. You guys need to work on getting to know each other again, and I'm afraid that I_ could _be interfering too much."

"Karina...he's _different_ around you. I don't know what it is exactly, but I've _never_ seen him diffused that quickly before, not even under normal circumstances." Leonardo hesitated for a long moment, biting his lip apprehensively. "This is so hard for me to do, and I actually can't _believe_ I'm going to ask you this. I suppose that it proves how desperate I really feel."

"Ask me what Leonardo?"

"To _stay_." He answered tightly. "Not forever Karina...just for a little while. I'm honestly not sure if we can handle him or not. But I see the difference in the way he responds to _you, _as opposed to the rest of us. I'm sorry. I know it isn't _fair_ for me to ask you to basically put your life on hold for us. I don't know what else to do...but you certainly don't owe us anything."

"I _owe_ you my sister's life." Karina said evenly.

"That doesn't make you beholden to us. You don't have to do this Kari...I just honestly believe that being around you is _helping_ him, in a way that we haven't been able to yet."

"I don't actually know that it's really _me_ Leo," She told him quietly. "I just haven't been putting up with any of his junk. I understand that he's been through a lot, but he's not an idiot. He's gotten away with a ton of acting out, without being checked by you guys. But I don't really blame you either. I know you simply want him _back_."

Karina paused for an instant, meeting his gaze. "I'll stay Leonardo, and I'll do the best I can. I can't guarantee he'll really respond to me favorably, but I'll try."

* * *

Jenna had been sitting at Donatello's side for over eight hours, waiting. Luke had encouraged her to at least try and get some sleep in the Lab, but she wasn't budging from her spot. Jenna leaned back, shifting somewhat uncomfortably in the desk chair, as she tried to find a better position. It was getting harder and harder to keep her eyes open.

Luke was trying to give her some space, keeping mostly to his work on the computer, on the other side of the room. Jenna caught herself nearly dozing for the fourth time, and lightly pinched her own arm, to try and wake up further.

It was a little after three in the morning when the turtle finally stirred a little bit.

"Luke!" Jenna called out to the doctor, even as she squeezed Donatello's hand tighter. "Donnie, are you there?"

He released a deeper breath, blinking slowly as Luke was hurrying over too.

"Jen?" He cracked softly, the tiniest part of a smile tugging at his lips.

"Yeah." She said happily. "_Hi_ babe. It's good to see you."

He groaned a little as he tried to shift positions, and Luke laid a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Don't try it yet Don." He told him. "I don't want to bother you, but I do need to check a few things. How do you feel?"

"Well there's no _ventilator_...so how can I complain?"

Luke laughed a little, nodding at the turtle. "Nope. No complications."

"That must be a _record_ for me. How'd it go?"

The doctor verily beamed at him. "Marc fixed it _without _a graft buddy. Some therapy, six to eight weeks of rest, and you should be back on the market."

The turtle actually laughed then, relief flooding his brown eyes. "Oh thank _God_. Thank_ you _guys. I don't know _what _I'd do without you."


	44. Matador

*** Gosh, I **_**hope **_**I pulled this off. It might sound weird, but I was more nervous about THIS depiction than I've ever been anything previous to it. If you want the full effect of the chapter, you can look up the song that goes along with it easily on Youtube. It's called "Gotta Get Through This", and it's by Daniel Bedingfield. If you'd like a further depiction of what it's **_**supposed**_** to look like PM me and I'll drop you a couple of links.**

* * *

The persistent beats were the first thing that captured Raphael's attention. He'd come downstairs to watch some TV, and to _avoid_ sleeping. Somehow the trade off of being more tired during the day was _worth_ avoiding the junk that plagued him so often when he tried to lay down his head and rest. The music was coming from their practice room, and there was light filtering from underneath the door. He curiously went forward, pulling the door slightly ajar. He was startled to see Karina in mid-pirouette on one of the mats, completely lost inside the song that was playing.

__

"...Give me just a second and I'll be all right  
Surely one more moment couldn't break my heart  
Give me 'til tomorrow then I'll be okay  
Just another day and then I'll hold you tight

_When your love is pouring like the rain  
I close my eyes and it's gone again  
When will I get the chance to say I love you?  
I pretend that you're already mine and  
That my heart ain't breaking every time  
I look into your eyes..."_

She didn't seem to notice him watching, carrying on with an odd routine that seemed to _showcase_ aggression.

"And they think _I_ have anger issues." Raphael finally said out loud, venturing further into the room.

The woman completed another turn, and then scooped the remote off of the floor to stop the music.

"It's _supposed _to look like that." She said a little breathlessly, as well as slightly irritated. "I'm trying to capture the _character_ of the dance."

"So are you dancing, or _acting_?"

"I'm supposed to be telling a _story_ here Raphael. Different styles of dance convey a distinct message and tone along with them."

"Why are you doing it right now, and why are you wearing_ that_?" He asked, motioning to the nearly floor-length skirt she was sporting.

"I got a call back for a job with a company, and they want to see some of my choreography skills. It's not easy without a partner, but completely doable."

"This is so you can teach?"

"That's right, but teaching is only part of it."

"You still haven't said why you're_ in _that thing. Doesn't it make dancing harder?"

"Not if you _know_ what you're doing with it - it's a necessary element for the Paso Doble."

"So what story does it tell? That you're _ticked_?"

"It's meant to be a depiction of the Spanish bull fight. It's definitely one of the most theatrical ball room dances out there, as far as the emotional content is concerned."

"Then...you're supposed to be fighting a bull, is that it?"

"The tradition of roles vary, but in this particular case, I_ am _the bull."

"You_ are _the bull?" Raphael repeated, shaking his head. "I get that this is supposed to be like _art_ or something, but it just doesn't make any real sense to me. If somebody wants to see a_ fight_, why wouldn't they go to a ring somewhere? I don't understand how the two forms remotely relate to each other. I guess the final product might be _kinda_ cool...but seriously, if I want to check out a fight, I'm more of a _literal _kind of guy. I just don't think the _depiction_ could satisfy me."

Arms crossed lightly over her chest, she regarded him with a slight twinkle in her green eyes. "It sounds like you've never seen anything like it up _close_ Raphael."

He snorted. "I wouldn't_ remember _it, even if I _had_ sweetheart."

She smiled in an incomprehensible way. "I could remedy that situation for you."

He took an unconscious step backward. "I don't_ think _so babe."

"Why not Raph? Are you _scared_?"

"Why would I be scared of a _dance_? Are you gonna stomp on my foot or something?" He taunted back.

She tossed her ponytail with a laugh of her own. "_You_ won't need to even move at all. Just make yourself comfortable."

Raphael walked back onto the mat, just to prove the point that he wasn't intimidated by her in the least, while she started the song over on the player.

_"I gotta get through this, I gotta get through this  
I gotta make, gotta make, gotta make it through  
Said I'm gonna get through thisI'm gonna get through this  
I gotta take, gotta take my mind off of you..."  
_

Karina started out a couple of feet away from him, striking a pose in combination with the strong beat of the song, one arm raised in a graceful arc. He watched her footwork for a moment, stunned by the speed behind her moves. She stalked toward him, green eyes alive with a fire that he'd never seen there before. He hunkered down on the mat and refused to budge an inch, as Karina lightly grazed his chin with her palm.

She slowly circled the turtle, brushing her fingertips over both of his shoulders. When she came back around to face him, she struck another imposing position, her feet meeting the floor in an extremely decisive stance. Karina lunged inside his personal space, mere inches from his face. She held the spot for a breath of an instant, before lashing out a feigned blow toward his chest.

The woman fell back a pace, following the move with a high kick that actually stretched over her head. She darted back into his space a second time, pushing off of his left shoulder to give her leverage to get off the ground again. She was so close to him, she could literally feel his heart about to beat out of his chest. Karina held the contact for a couple of seconds, before striking another forceful position, with further sharp footwork.

She was circling him again, faster this time, billowing her skirt out around her so that it nearly looked like she was flying. Both shoulders returned to a threatening posture, and then she was back within inches of him again, feigning a further blow to his jaw.

With a slight smile she rested both hands against his plastron almost seductively, before shoving him firmly backwards. His balance was so off kilter by this point, that the woman actually succeeded in sending the turtle a couple of feet.

As the beats started closing down, she struck another position with her arm in the air, using the other to slowly sweep her skirt across her form. Then Karina reached for the remote again, and stopped the fading music. "Just in case you're keeping track, the bull _won_." She informed him, and then stretched her arms toward the ceiling. "Boy, am I thirsty. Excuse me Raph."

She walked past him, intentionally brushing his left shoulder as she left the room.

He hadn't figured out how to make his legs work yet, or he might have gone after her.

* * *

Marcus glanced at his watch nervously. He'd been sitting at the table in the food court for about twenty minutes, even though he wasn't supposed to meeting anyone until about 11am. Nerves had prevented him from sitting around waiting inside of his apartment.

"Dr. Sloan." A voice called from behind him. "I see _both_ of us were a little eager to get started."

Marcus glanced over his shoulder, to see Timothy Long on his crutches.

"Thanks for coming," The man said. "I really appreciate it."

Marcus rose to pull out a chair for him. "How are you getting around?"

"Not too badly, though I did have to take a leave from some of the fun stuff from work for awhile. But I'm _alive_...thanks to your _friends_. Seeing as how we're in a public place, I think that's how I'll continue referring to them."

"I appreciate your discretion. What can I do for you Captain? I know you must have questions."

"Just a few have been running through my mind, but I don't want to overwhelm you all at once. First of all...do you have _any_ idea why that mad man would think I knew anything about your friends?"

"How did you run across him to begin with?"

"Noticed his car in the warehouse district, something just didn't smell right about them. I followed it for a ways, not threatening or anything. I didn't have grounds to pull them over at that point. Then a few miles down the road, they pulled some silly infraction right in front of me. The big one made some excuse to get out of the car, and he _must_ have hit me, though I don't remember it.

I woke up somewhere else _entirely_. They um...they beat me something fierce, felt like it went on for hours. I thought_ that _was bad, but then they took me back to the room where that other...where your friend was. That was when the other guy started grilling me, weirdest interrogation I've ever seen in my life. None of it made a _scrap_ of sense.

He brought out some little tool, threatening that he could make me tell him everything. It was no good to tell him that I really _didn't _know. It burned and _burned,_ in a way that I didn't know you could actually hurt and still _live_."

Timothy trembled for a few instants at the memory of it, letting out a shaky breath. "I'm_ not _like this. I'm a veteran cop, the bad guys _don't _get to me. But I just laid there, completely helpless to do anything. I wanted him to kill me, and simply be done with it."

Marcus reached out a tentative hand to his shoulder. "These weren't normal circumstances. Now you said you found him in the warehouse district?"

"Yeah, I wasn't even really on the clock at the time."

"Stolle was setting a trap for my friends, inside of one of those buildings. When you followed him out of there, he must have assumed that you were connected to them somehow."

"That's quite a leap to make Doctor."

"Stolle was _crazy_ Captain. He was absolutely convinced that my friends had government ties, which clearly isn't true. It wasn't hard for him to believe that your timing was an indication of your involvement."

"Are they alright now?" Tim asked. "Even that first one?"

"They are." Marcus said simply. "A couple of them were hurt in _various_ ways, but we're believing for a full recovery."

"Why did they save me?"

"Because that's the kind of guys they are." Marcus answered. "They always put people ahead of their own safety."

"Always?" Tim echoed. "What is it that they _do_ exactly? Am I allowed to ask you that?"

"They make this city a safer place." Marcus replied. "That's all that you really need to know for right now."

"Will I ever get to see them again?"

Marcus shrugged. "Maybe, if circumstances warranted it."

"I'd like to thank them."

"I can pass that along for you." Marc replied lightly.

Tim looked at the table for a long moment. "I actually got really nervous in the hospital. This lady came to see me, I've never laid eyes on her in my life. She asked me all these really pointed questions about if I'd seen something in that building, or if there was anything that I wanted to talk about. I kept my mouth shut, but she really badgered me for a few minutes. When I asked the guys why they let her in, they said she had some kinda higher up authority, something to do with the American Consulate? I don't know _what _that was about."

Marcus had a hard time not laughing out loud. _Sounds like Victoria was checking up on you._

"I wouldn't worry about it Captain. We've actually got _friends_ all over the place, and you probably just passed some kind of test."

* * *

*** Yes, Timothy will have a part to play in a future fic down the road - but that's all the more you'll hear of him for now.**


	45. Pieces

(The Next Evening)

* * *

Raphael's shout had succeeded in waking up both Leonardo and Michelangelo, and both turtles hesitated for a moment together outside of his door.

"Let _me_ go Mike." Leonardo said quietly. "You've done your part _more_ than enough times."

"You be _careful_ Leo. You know he could still go all postal on you like before. Sure ya don't want me to come too?"

"No, I know what to _expect_ now. I'll be fine, go on back to bed."

Leonardo ventured into the bedroom, softly making his way over to the single bed where Raphael was cringing openly in his sleep. He firmly shook his brother's good shoulder, and then backed slightly away from him.

"Raph, wake up. This isn't real - just open your eyes."

When his brother didn't seem to hear him, Leonardo took a deep breath, and shook him again. This time Raphael's iron grip snatched a hold of his wrist, but Leonardo was prepared for it. He caught Raphael's wrist in return, with the very hand that his brother had been trying to hold down, and swiftly captured him by the other wrist as well.

"Raphael, don't fight me. It's Leo." He said extremely calmly, levering his weight against his struggling brother.

"_Leo_? What are you _doing_?!"

"Preventing myself from getting punched in the mouth."

"Let me GO!"

"You calm down, and I'd be happy too."

Raphael shot him a very dark look, but also stopped trying to get free. Leonardo pulled off only a moment later, backing a single pace away from him.

"What's your _purpose_?" Raphael demanded of him.

"I heard you yell. You were dreaming Raph, I just wanted to make sure you got out of it."

The turtle rose from the mattress with a grunt. "The nightmare doesn't _end_ just 'cause I'm awake."

"Where are you going?"

"Leo, I _don't_ wanna do this right now."

"I _know_ what you're going through Raph, I've been there!" Leonardo called after him, as the turtle headed down the stairs.

"You don't know _anything_." He responded tersely.

"_Yes_ I do!" The older turtle insisted, pursuing him down the stairs.

"Back_ off _Leonardo! You _can't_ help me!"

"Maybe I _could_, if you'd just let me!"

Raphael's fist met the wall in a thunderous blow. "_Leave me alone_!"

* * *

Karina jarred awake on the ground floor when Raphael took out his anger on the wall, and sat up in time to hear him yelling at someone.

_Brother. 2:30 in the morning? This had better end up being worth my time._

She waited for a few seconds, but didn't hear any kind of vocal response, or more yelling. There was only the sound of a door slamming, from further down the hallway. Curiously she rose, yanked her arms through the sleeves of her robe, and then peeked out into the hall.

Looking left and right, Karina stole into the darkness, and headed down to where the faint light was coming from. She grasped the handle of the door to the practice room for a second, as if talking herself into dealing with this.

With a sharp breath she yanked the door open, and laid eyes on a _seriously_ angry Raphael. The sound of his blows raining down on the punching bag actually frightened her a little bit, but she quickly pulled herself together.

"What's your _problem_ Raphael? If you can't sleep, _no one _should?" She demanded.

"_Now_ ain't the time Karina!" He bellowed at her.

The woman crossed her arms determinedly, and joined him on the mat. "It's the _perfect_ time Raph. Don't you see that this isn't going to do you any good?"

The turtle made absolutely no response to her.

"Venting might help you a little in the short run," She continued. "But you're never really going to be okay until you _talk_ to someone about this. Can you _do_ that Raph? Will you open up the iron gate that's shutting everyone else out?"

"It doesn't make any difference." He seethed.

"How do you know if you don't _try_?"

"Because it _won't_!" The turtle emphasized, striking the bag even harder. "It doesn't change anything!"

"No, it_ can't _change what happened to you." She allowed. "But it can effect what's happening _now_. You're never going to be free of it, until you can let it out Raphael."

"I'll never be _free_ of it period! Nothing I _tell_ anyone, and nothing they _say_ can ever make it right!" He declared, never once looking at her. "_He took everything_!" Raphael punctuated each syllable with a blow more forceful than the last.

As she gazed at him now, she saw something _beyond _rage in the blazing amber eyes, that actually shocked her a little bit. She swallowed hard to summon her courage, and lightly touched his shell. "Why are you so ashamed?"

He flinched away from her touch. "I'm _not_." He insisted, but the denial felt forced even as it left his mouth.

"Raph, I'm familiar enough with that emotion, that I _know_ it when I see it. If you'd like to get _real_ with me, I'm listening."

"Do I have to spell this out for you?" He demanded. "I _don't_ wanna talk about it!"

"It wasn't your fault."

"_What_?"

"What happened with Stolle, _whatever_ that man did to you - it wasn't your fault."

"No _kidding_ sweetheart, how do you 'spose it _would_ be?"

"I don't _know_ Raphael, but for _some_ reason you're carrying around a load of guilt mixed in with all this anger. I didn't realize it until just now. I don't know _how_ he made you feel that way, but you _have_ to realize that it wasn't your fault."

"You're_ right_, you don't know anything about it! _Stop_ trying to analyze me, and leave it alone!"

"I can't do that Raph. I can see you're holding onto something _very_ tightly here, and whatever it is might destroy you if you don't let it go."

"It already _has_, don't you get it? I can't come _back_ from where I've been! There's no way to fix the pieces - it's too late for that!"

"Why is it too late Raphael?"

"There are some things you can't put back together!"

She unexpectedly grabbed him by the wrist, yanking hard to force him to look at her. "What are you talking about? You keep pushing me away, but I have a_ strong _notion that you _want _to talk about this. You want to get it off your chest so badly that you can hardly _breathe_. Why won't you let it out?"

The defiance in his amber gaze was clearly faltering, leaving only cold fear in its' wake.

"It was...he..."

"Sit down Raphael." She encouraged, pulling him in the direction of the mat. "Take your time, you don't have to rush."

"_He broke me_." The turtle whispered, as if speaking the words out loud was like driving a stake through his heart. "_Completely_. He was hurting me, and I _caved_."

His entire body quaked for an instant, as he tried to force the sob back down his throat.

"Stop fighting it." Karina said softly, soothing.

"I _swore_, I swore to myself that he wasn't gonna get to me. But he told me I would break, and he was right. He was _right. _I couldn't hold out. And there wasn't anythingI could tell him, except that I had no memory. But if I'd known where I came from, what we do...in that moment, I probably would have said _anything_ to make him stop! I don't think I could have cut myself off. I might have betrayed them completely - I _know_ I could have!"

Quiet sobs wracked his frame, as he stared hard at the mat. "I can't even look at myself in the mirror, without remembering the way I cracked, how desperate I felt in that moment. I've _been_ reading, and a_ ninja _isn't supposed to fold under pressure!" He stopped then, taking in air with great gasps as tears fell.

"It wasn't your fault." She repeated.

"How can you_ say _that? You weren't _there_! You didn't watch me give in to him!"

"Raphael, if you'd _had_ your memory, I doubt it would have ever gotten that far."

"You don't know that!"

"You're right, I don't." She acknowledged. "But you were already in a precarious position, weren't you? Plagued not only by the way those men were treating you, but the fact that you were completely and _utterly_ alone in yourself, with no memory to even retreat to. If you'd had something to stand on, I don't think that man could have even _splintered_ you."

"Doesn't change the fact that he _did_." Raphael trembled.

"Raph, look at me. Your brothers, your family haven't given up on you. I _defy_ you to let this man control the rest of your life! What happened, _happened_, it's in the past. You can't let it hinder you from going forward. _That _seems like a worse fate than being broken in the first place."

"I don't know _how_ to get past it." He told her.

"I doubt that you can, by _yourself_." She said pointedly, suddenly taking his chin in her grasp. "But the good news is, you're not alone."

* * *

A few minutes later they both went out to sit in the living room more comfortably, as Raphael was still working on winding himself back down.

"What about you?" He asked her a little out of the blue. "Why'd you up and quit everything in California?"

The woman took a sharp breath, and he could almost see a physical shadow descend over her features.

"I've been letting go of Sacramento for a long time." She said after a moment. "After my mom died, the reasons to stick around weren't really holding up anymore. Kat had been gone in New York for years...and my mom's studio was sort of on it's last legs. I still had a pretty steady stream of students, but we were experiencing a lot of financial issues.

_He doesn't need to hear the whole story right now_, she thought morosely.

"I needed a change...I'd been waiting a long time for it. I came to New York to try something different." Then Karina hesitated, a smile crossing her countenance. "I suppose _this_ qualifies as a change, doesn't it?"

"That's _one_ way to put it." He told her. "Did you leave behind a trail or broken hearts?" He asked slightly mischievously.

"_Me_? No, I'm...no. I haven't been in a real relationship for quite awhile. The last one didn't end particularly well. I was with my guy two years, really thought he was getting close to proposing. Turns out he was just eyeing the greener grass on the other side."

"His loss. Did you love him?"

She pondered for a beat. "I _thought _I did...now I'm not so sure."

"What makes you question it?"

"I guess...seeing the way Kat is with Luke, and the way Jenna is with your brother has something to do with it. I don't think I ever had anything _close _to that."

"Yeah, what's _up_ with the lovebirds anyway? It's enough to make me believe Jenna really _doesn't_ mind staying underground for him."

"To be perfectly honest Raph, I think she'd live on the _moon_ to be with him."

"Where does that kinda love_ come _from?"

"I don't know Raphael...if I figure it out, I'll let you know." She replied glibly.


	46. Friendship & Pranks

Raphael hadn't actually wanted much to do with Greg to begin with - but he had to give the guy props for his persistence. The man had been trying to get Raphael to sit down with him for _days_, and tonight he'd finally agreed _purely_ to shut Greg up. As the man reached for the DVD remote, the turtle groaned softly.

"_Not_ another Christmas movie. Mike thinks I need to see every pathetic holiday story in existence."

"Your little brother really enjoys Christmas." Greg told him. "But no,_ I _wouldn't do that to you. I brought Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - you used to love this movie."

"Did _we_ used to kick it a lot Greg?" Raphael asked him suddenly.

"For awhile there." The man replied, as he plunked back down on the couch.

"Figured that_ had _to be the case, or you wouldn't have kept bothering with me."

Greg fumbled with the remote for a moment, but didn't start the movie right away. "You were coming to see _me_, the night that you were kidnapped. That's why you were on the surface to begin with."

He met Raphael's uncertain amber gaze for an instant, and looked quickly away. "Some _chick_ showed up at my place before you did...and that was when you turned back. I wanted to get rid of her, and that's exactly what I _should_ have done."

Raphael sat back a little further in the recliner with a soft sigh. "So you blame yourself too?"

"Who else does?"

"Luke, or _course_. You guys seriously need to quit this. You're about as far a cry from the villains here as an _angel_ is from a demon. I don't understand why you people have taken up with us so much, but it's clear that my brothers think a lot of you. Don't feel guilty for things that _ain't _your fault. There's enough junk t'deal with, without being ashamed for something you didn't even _do_."

"I'm glad you're here," Greg ventured slowly. "Even if...Whether you _know_ who I am, or not."

"I can appreciate that." The turtle told him, glancing over as he heard Michelangelo coming.

"Hey, what are you guys gonna watch?" The orange-banded turtle asked at once.

"Nothing _Christmas_ related." Raphael said very quickly.

"Crouching Tiger Mike - there's room on the couch if you wanna join us." Greg offered, and the turtle made a face.

"Ya'll have watched that movie at least a _dozen_ times over the last few months."

"Ain't exactly like I _know_ any better." Raphael actually cracked.

"I'll have to pass Heff - I've got some baking to get done anyway. I'll catch you two later."

As Michelangelo disappeared into the kitchen, Raphael glanced back at Greg again.

"Why do they call you that?" He asked him.

"It's short for _Heffernan_. _You're _the one who started it, and everybody else just kinda picked it up. You just stared me down one day, and told me that I didn't look like a _Greg_."

The turtle cocked his head slightly as he gazed at the human. "Well...you really _don't_."

Greg shook his head, a little sadness creeping back into his eyes, even though he laughed. "It still feels like _you're_ in there. I um...I've missed this. Working for the FBI, it's pretty easy to let the job consume you. Everything else is just a _distraction_, not an actual life. I used to have_ a lot _of distractions, before I met you guys."

"And now what? You spend half your free time underground? How does that qualify as living?" Raphael wondered aloud.

"The _where_ doesn't matter as much as the _who_ Raph. I've never had friends like you in my life...you're pretty darn amazing."

"Is this what we do all the time?" Raphael asked, motioning to the television screen.

"No, we entertain ourselves all kinds of ways. _Lately_ you'd been running me through the wringer a little bit, teaching me some of the more simple ninjitsu elements."

"How was that going?"

"Slowly. It takes older dogs awhile to learn new tricks."

"You can't be older than forty, right?"

"I'm not _talking_ to you anymore."

* * *

It was after 11pm when Leonardo wandered into the kitchen looking for Mike, surprised to see the turtle still busy. Mike was humming softly to himself, as he stirred something vigorously in a bowl.

"Hey Mikey, what are you still working on so late?" Leo asked him.

"Oh _nothing_ Fearless. I just thought I'd have a little fun at someone else's expense." Mike grinned. "Did you happen to see what Heff was up to when you were out there?"

"He was pretty much passed out I think. You know he's been going into work earlier."

"But he doesn't have to go in _tomorrow_, right?"

"No - and I figured it'd be fine for him to just crash here again. What are your intentions Mikey?"

The orange-banded turtle couldn't resist grinning again. "Come and admire my handiwork Leo. It took almost an entire bottle of food coloring to obtain this shade. I figured it was time for a little follow up - so you want in or what?"

"_Just _Heff right? You're not thinking about trying anything with Raph. I don't think that would go over well."

"_Only_ the big man Fearless. Give me a few more minutes to get these frosted up, and we'll be good to go."

"Why do you have the ice cream sitting out?" Leo wanted to know.

"The two just naturally go together Leo. Let me finish this, and let's keep it down in the meantime."

* * *

All of the lights were out in the living area, with the exception of the Christmas tree and the faint glow that the TV provided. Raphael looked up as his brothers came surreptitiously out of the kitchen, creeping quietly further into the room. Puzzled, the turtle sat up further in his chair.

"What are you guys doing? You were in there for like forever." He asked them.

"Shh." Mike urged him. "It's time for a _lesson_."

"What are you doing to him?" Raphael asked more quietly.

"It's revenge Raph - Mikey owes him from a few days ago." Leonardo explained softly, standing back beside him while Michelangelo approached the couch. "He won't hurt him - just _watch_."

Mike didn't make so much as a sound as he descended on the human, and then plowed the cake directly in his face.

Greg jolted awake with a cry of surprise, bewildered to find himself covered in the red frosting. He didn't have time to recover from _that _shock, before something cold was deposited on his neck. The man jerked off of the couch, as semi-melted ice cream found it's way down the back of his collar. He shook his head at the laughing turtles, cracking a smile even as he stripped out of the long sleeve shirt.

"_That'll_ teach me to fall asleep on your couch!"

"I _did_ warn you about that Heff." Leonardo grinned, also coming toward him now.

Greg held out his arms protectively when he saw that the turtle was armed as well.

"Hold on, now _hold_ on! I didn't even touch _you_!" He protested, and Leonardo immediately halted in his advance.

"You raise a _valid _point." The turtle said placidly, and swiftly hooked his free arm around his younger brother's neck to capture him in a headlock

Leonardo seriously enjoyed smearing the cake over him, pressing the last of it on top of his head with a friendly pat.

"Thanks for pointing out the error of my ways Heff." Leonardo chuckled.

"How didn't I see _that_ coming?" Mike laughed, striking a ridiculous pose as Leonardo let him go. "Hey look it Heff, we're _twins_."

"Yeah Mikey - we're two peas in a pod." Greg laughed in return. "If fun time's over, I'm gonna go get this stuff _off_."

Raphael's amber gaze had been clearly amused, but he still looked slightly bewildered by them. "You guys are completely _nuts_, do y' know that?"

"Hold that thought Raph." Mike quipped, dashing back toward the kitchen.

"Does this happen on a regular basis, or only on special occasions?" Raphael directed at Leonardo, since he was the only one left in the room with him.

"Yes." The turtle answered with a smile. "It's _expected_ on certain occasions, but it can be extremely random too."

"What do you do it for? _Obviously_ that was funny, but none of you get tired of it?"

"We haven't yet." Leonardo replied.

Mike returned from the kitchen a couple of minutes later, still dripping a little from cleaning up partially.

"Well _that _sort of backfired on you, huh?" Raphael snickered at him, and Michelangelo shrugged.

"It's all for fun anyway - I don't think the game will_ ever _die." Mike said, and then shot a pointed glance at Leonardo. "I may be more persistent than you guys, but I sure didn't start it to _begin_ with."

"Geesh, how long has it been going on?"

"It's been awhile," Leonardo acknowledged. "Mikey was probably thirteen or so. It was the dead of winter, and we ran into this nasty block of sub-zero temperatures, I'm talking like twenty below wind chill factors. It had already been a rough winter anyway, and at that point we hadn't spent any real time on the surface for over two weeks. None of us were particularly happy with the situation, but Mikey took it harder for some reason. There's nothing worse than seeing our resident 'ball of sunshine' depressed."

"Yeah, so they_ all _conspired against me. And they call _me_ a troublemaker." Mike spoke up.

"It _worked_, didn't it?" Leonardo teased his younger brother.

"I think my exact words were, 'this means _war_'." The younger turtle reminded him.


	47. Déjà vu

* The song once again is "This is Home", by Switchfoot.

* * *

Raphael had just polished off a sandwich, and was now heading to watch Leonardo and Michelangelo spar some more. The two turtles had been working out around the same time for the last several days, and he ended up observing them more often than not. They would work with him after that, sometimes separately, and sometimes together. None of it had been "hands on" yet, and he couldn't really blame them. He was still in the process of "remembering" what he was capable of.

As he made his way to the practice room, another sound drew his attention down the hallway. The door to the Lounge was slightly ajar, and through it he could hear the faintest sound of someone singing and playing. Raphael shifted directions, wandering down to the room that he'd only been inside of once, when Leonardo had showed him around the first time.

"_...I believe you now, I've come too far_

_Now I can't go back_

_Back to how it was_

_Created for a place I've never known…"_

Raphael smiled a little when he saw his purple-banded brother behind the keyboard, nodding approvingly when the turtle glanced up at him. "You ain't half bad brother. Nice to see you can get away from the computer – even if you _are_ only trading one keyboard for another." He cracked.

Donatello grinned back at him, as Raphael walked further into the room, his gaze roving over various instruments.

"Seems like you have all the makings for your own little band in here."

"We've been known to play together from time to time." Donatello told him, watching his brother closely as he wandered the room.

The turtle had made his way to the stand that housed one of the electric guitars, an instrument Donatello felt had been neglected for too long already.

"That's a thing of _beauty_ right there." Raphael whistled. "Who plays?"

"_You_ do." Donnie answered. "That's your Stratocaster."

"Seriously?" Raphael asked, running a hand over the facing of the guitar, as if it were a live animal. "I wonder if I could remember how."

"Maybe – once your brain learns certain actions, they can become sort of inane, the way you don't even have to think about them." Donatello said.

The turtle lightly ran a finger over the strings, frowning when it didn't sound right to him. "It's out of tune."

"You haven't played in awhile."

"What was that thing _you_ were playing, right when I came in here?" Raphael asked suddenly.

"It was just an old song, something we covered a couple of Christmases ago."

"I didn't know you had a voice on you."

Donatello laughed. "Of the two of us, _you're_ the one with the voice Raph."

"Now I _know_ you're pulling my leg."

"Nope, it's true. Took years to get you to _let_ anyone hear it – but you've got a great voice."

The turtle waved him off somewhat dismissively, but pulled over a stool to sit by him at the keyboard.

"Will you play that song again, the one you were before?"

Donatello shrugged. "Sure, if you want."

He tried to shift to a more comfortable position on the stool, and then his nimble fingers started moving over the keys. He intentionally skipped the first verse, and moved directly into the second. While he was singing, Raphael shuddered slightly, as a flash of sudden powerful awareness coursed through his mind. Wide amber eyes blinked rapidly, as an uncanny sense of déjà vu came over him.

He reached for Donatello's arm to stop him, and his younger brother gave him a double take when he saw him trembling.

"Are you okay?"

"I've been here before."

"What do you mean?"

"It's_ familiar_. _This_, you on the keyboard, that _song_. I _know_ I've heard it."

Donatello exhaled sharply. "Do you want me to keep going?"

He barely nodded, his whole body tensing with anticipation.

Donatello took the loop back around to the chorus, and started to sing for him again.

"_This is Home, _

_Now I'm finally where I belong_

_Where I belong_

_Yeah this is Home_

_I've been searching for a place of my own_

_Now I've found it_

_Maybe this is Home…"_

When he hit the half-way point on the chorus, he was started not _only_ to hear Raph sing the words along with him, but in the correct harmony. Donatello stopped an instant later, hands shaking so that he couldn't actually play it anymore.

Raphael almost seemed like he was in a trance, scant breaths barely causing his chest to rise. Donnie couldn't bring himself to say anything, he didn't want to speak and ruin whatever might be happening. Nearly five minutes of silence passed between them, when Raphael suddenly dropped his head.

"No. It's no good." He said dejectedly. "There's a fragment but…that's all it is. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize for it." Donatello told him, but was completely unable to mask his own disappointment from Raphael.

The red-banded turtle got to his feet. "I gotta go."

* * *

"Did you guys eat?" Jenna called to the turtles from the door of the practice room.

"No, not yet, we got a little sidetracked." Leonardo replied to her.

"Kari and I brought some hoagies back with us – figured they wouldn't go to waste either way."

Leonardo motioned to his younger brother. "C'mon bro, we can pick this back up later."

"You're gettin' to be more awesome in your long years." Mike grinned, and then turned to Jenna. "I don't suppose you got the…"

"A whole Italian chicken Mike, and it has your name on it."

The two turtles were settling down to eat in the living area, while Jenna was unwrapping another sandwich she intended to take to Donatello. At that moment, Raphael came swiftly up the hall, heading for the stairs.

"Hey Raph, are you hungry?" Mike called after him. "The girls brought back the best hoagies in New York!"

"No, I'm good." He answered quickly, not entirely able to keep his voice steady.

Leonardo went after him, noticing what looked like tears in his eyes. "Raph…"

"Leo, _don't_." The turtle said to him. "Just…don't, okay?"

He turned and sprinted up the stairs, leaving behind a crestfallen Leonardo again.

Karina put down the bag she'd been toting on the coffee table, and came quietly to join him. She hated the obvious rejection in his eyes. "Leo…"

"It's alright Kari, you just go. He'll talk to_ you_."

* * *

Raphael sighed inwardly at the knock on his door.

_Shell, it's her, I know it has to be. I 'spose there's no sense in fighting it, she won't leave until I spill my guts anyway_.

"Come in _Karina_."

The woman opened the door, and came to lean on the end of the bed where he was sitting.

"What's going on Raph?"

"Whole lota nothing."

"It doesn't _seem_ like nothing. What happened?"

"It's not what happened, it's what's _happening_. It just ain't coming back to me Karina. With Donnie, a few minutes ago…I really thought something might. There was this song that I actually _remembered_. But I couldn't get anything else."

"Raphael you can't give up yet. You should be _encouraged_ that you remember something." She hesitated for an instant, and then went on. "You've got to start talking to your brothers about this. You _can't_ keep pushing them away."

"I don't know how to talk to them." He mumbled in return.

"Raph, you talk to _me_. It seems like talking to _them_ would be even easier than that. They've known you your whole life, so much better than I do!"

"_That's_ the problem!" The turtle exclaimed with a vengeance. "Karina, I see it in their eyes, every time they look at me! They're hoping, expecting, praying that I'll snap out of this! What if I can't? What if this is really it for me, and I just have to start from here? I can't do this! I can't live under these expectations, always feeling like I don't measure up to who I'm _supposed_ to be, who I was _before_!"

"They're not _trying_ to put pressure on you Raphael."

"But they _are_, and I'm getting sick and tired of disappointing everybody."

"Raph, they're not demanding anything from you. They're _trying _to reach out to you, if you'd just let them in! You have to stop hiding!"

"_You're _one to talk." He said sharply

The woman was a little startled. "What do you mean?"

The turtle snorted at her. "You walk around this place with that smile _plastered_ on, but you _aren't_ happy. If you wanna talk about hiding, why don't _you_ get real for a change?"

The way the woman dissolved before his very eyes made Raphael instantly regret saying it. She had turned to leave, and he bolted upright to pursue her.

"Karina _wait_, that didn't come out right."

He caught her very lightly by the arm, tugging her back a couple of feet in his direction. She wouldn't look at him right away, further distressing the turtle.

"Karina, I'm _sorry_."

Light green eyes met him again, weighed down in her _own_ shame. "No." She said tightly. "You're right. I've been hiding more than _you_ have, and probably for much longer."

"Kari, what's _wrong_?" He asked a little pleadingly.

"There are _reasons_ that I left California." She said slowly. "I guess I hoped I could leave a lot of these emotions behind too, but it's not that simple."

"Is it about that moron who dumped you?"

A slight smile tugged at her lips. "No. He's the_ least _of my problems. But even the _worst_ of mine still feel small, comparatively speaking."

"That ain't fair to say. What's the matter?" The turtle pressed her.

She took a sharp breath, and let it out again. "I never really _knew_ my father. I'm told that he was very abusive to my mother for several years, both physically and verbally. He was...unbalanced. Kat said he was like two different people, and you just never knew which one would turn up. My Mom put up with it for years...until Katherine's seventh birthday. That was the day he tried laying a hand on her and my brother Brandon for the first time, and it broke something in my Mom. She threatened him, kicked him out. We didn't hear from him again, at least not for a long time.

A couple of years after my Mom died, he started trying to contact me. I was _real _closed off at first...wouldn't give him the time of day. But he kept at it, eventually started wearing me down.

The honest truth is, I've only been like a _shell_ of a person for a long time. I spent most of my life trying to convince my family _and_ myself that I was satisfied...but I never really have been. Everything I've done and _lived_, was only to please someone else. I had dreams when I was younger, but I didn't have the strength to go along with them.

I thought that letting my father in might help me deal with some of my issues, get some closure. He started helping me out at my Mom's studio, there was a lot of work that needed done. It was amazing for a couple of months there, feeling like I had a father for the first time in my life. But at the same time, I felt so _guilty_, like I was betraying my mother and siblings, just by having anything to do with him.

I was in over my head on some financial issues, and he started to 'help' me with that too." The woman stopped suddenly, clenching her fists as anger took over.

"He manipulated me, and he _used_ me. Without my knowledge, he got the deed to the building transferred into his name, and he _sold_ it."

Raphael's amber eyes widened. "He _stole_ your Mom's studio?"

"And then he disappeared." She said matter a factly, shoulders trembling again. "I have no one to blame here but myself. I _let _him do this, I let him take what he had no right or business _ever_ having his hands on. Everything she sacrificed for, and spent her whole life building is _gone_. And it's my fault."

The turtle tentatively put an arm around her as she cried, a little surprised when she relaxed into his embrace.

"Kari...you didn't know what he was doing."

"I _knew_ I shouldn't have had anything to do with him."

"You're not responsible for his actions."

"I was _responsible_ for my Mom's life work! And I let it go to pieces."

The turtle searched for words for a few seconds. "Y'know...if you Mom was here right now, I don't think she'd say that the studio was the most important thing to her. I think she'd say _you_ were, you and your brother and sister. And she _wouldn't_ want you to take the fall for your rotten old man."

He ventured a hand close to her face, and when she didn't flinch away, he lightly soothed it over her bronze hair.

"You shouldn't be giving up on _yourself_ either." He told her.


	48. Breathe

Donatello had been helping Raphael surf the online auction site for over an hour, and was starting to get a little exasperated with him by now.

"If you'd tell me what you were _looking_ for, we could probably refine this process a lot more." Donnie tried pointing out to him.

"I'll know it when I _see_ it Donnie. You _do_ realize that I was serious about you giving me some work to do? This is_ your _money we're talking about here."

"I told you not to think of it like that Raph. That money is in a pot, it belongs to _all_ of us. I've never been one to hoard it on the side."

"That's very generous of you, but I_ still _don't want to give something away, if it didn't cost me anything." Raphael informed him.

Donatello finally nodded. "If it makes you happy, of course there's stuff I could use your help with, particularly right now." The turtle said, glancing down at his knee.

Raphael caught the look, and scooted away from the desk a few inches. "How's therapy?"

"Pretty good. I wanna push it harder than Doc will let me – but that's nothing new."

"If you go too hard, it's just gonna take _longer_ to heal anyhow." Raphael reminded him. "But I guess I'd probably be the same way if I was you. I don't know how you manage to stay off it as much as you _do_."

"It's not easy." Donatello said. "I _hate_ being away from regular training, and I miss the city."

"Then I'm not the _only_ one who could go stir-crazy down here?"

Donatello chuckled and shook his head. "No…but it always_ did _seem to bother you more than the rest of us. There's no real reason why you shouldn't be able to go to the surface though. You ought talk to Leo and Mike – Central Park is flat-out breathtaking this time of year."

"You think they'd let me go?"

"Raph, you're not our _prisoner. _They're probably pretty antsy to get up there by now themselves. Just ask 'em – I'm sure they'd love to go."

"I'm sorry you can't."

"_Ah_ well, you've seen one fabulous light display, you've seen them all. It should be even cooler, what with the snow they had last night."

"This is turning out to be a pretty crummy holiday for you, isn't it?" Raphael asked, and Donatello quickly shook his head again.

"No Raph. A pretty crummy holiday would be if we hadn't found_ you _in time. Don't feel sorry for me, okay? I'm gonna be alright. I have everything I need, and more than I ever dreamed I could."

Raphael noticed at that moment that Donatello was fingering the silver medallion, that he'd rarely seen him without.

"Does that have some meaning to you?" Raphael asked him.

"Jen gave it to me – before she left New York that first time. I really didn't expect I'd _ever _see her again, but I underestimated how determined she actually was."

"How old were you again?"

"Sixteen. Geesh, that feels like so long ago. It seems like I've aged about thirty years since then."

"I think your count might be a _little _off Donnie." Raphael chuckled.

"Yeah, it just feels that way sometimes." Donatello smiled back. "It took me a long time to accept that the relationship could last on a _permanent _basis. Not because I didn't want it. I just didn't want to steal her life away, no matter how strongly I felt. I was unfair to her. It took me over a year to tell her that I loved her, after the first time she'd told me. I don't know why or _how_ she even held on to hope for as long as she did."

He hesitated for a long moment. "I'm not complete without her now. I had no idea it was possible to feel this way about someone else, or for them to love _me_ the way that she does. Occasionally I still wake up in the middle of the night, and just stare at her…like she's some vision that's going to disappear. When I think back to all the times that I tried to push her away, it makes me feel like the biggest moron on the face of the earth."

Raphael had taken in his brother's words, with a sort of pensive look of his own. "It seems like there is something special about you two. I laughed when I first saw you together, 'cause I couldn't _imagine_ a human girl going for one of us. But it really can work, can't it?"

"Not with just _anyone_." Donnie answered. "But when there's real love involved…the other details don't seem to matter as much. It'll _always_ be complicated, but I can tell you one thing for absolute certain."

"What's that Donnie?"

"For the right girl, _every_ bit of it is worth it. I wouldn't trade Jenna for anything – I'd rather be dead myself than live without her."

"That's pretty heavy brother."

He shrugged in return. "In our line of work, you end up thinking about that kinda stuff. The point is, she means more to me than life itself."

"Seems like you've got yourself a pretty great girl." Raphael told him, and glanced back at the computer screen again.

He clicked the link to advance the search results to the next page, and started scanning down the length of it. A little over half-way down, his hand suddenly gripped the mouse tighter.

"_There_." He said with sudden certainty. "That's it."

"Click on the lot number Raph, let's see the details on it."

Donatello perused the information along with his brother, making certain that the item could be delivered before Christmas.

"That's pretty unique Raph."

"It's exactly right for her. Do you have to bother with bidding?"

"Nope, they've got the feature where you can buy it immediately. Hang on here Raph, and let me finish this out for you."

* * *

It was after 10pm when Leonardo trotted downstairs, with a bundle of layers over one arm.

"Here Raph – we don't function too well in cold temperatures. Things can go south pretty quickly, so we have to dress warmer, alright?"

The turtle accepted the clothes from him, starting to pull things on as Michelangelo bounded down the stairs like a little boy who'd just been released on Christmas Break.

"Are we going, or what?" The orange-banded turtle asked. His energy level seemed to have sky-rocketed at the mere mention of going topside.

"Hold your _horses_ brother, we gotta wait for Karina too." Raphael told him.

A door opened down the hallway, and Karina and Jenna both came toward the living area, with Donatello bringing up the rear on his crutches.

"You kids have fun now." Jenna admonished the turtles with a wave of her finger.

"I wish you guys could come with us." Mike complained a little.

"Tramping through the snow in Central Park isn't something I've been released to do Mikey." Donnie told his younger brother.

"Don't you worry about us Mike, I've got plenty of ways to keep Donatello occupied down here while we have the place to ourselves." Jenna said with a twinkle.

"_Jen_!" Donatello immediately protested, only slightly mortified.

* * *

They'd decided to take one of the Sliders, and used the underground tunnels to get them close to Central Park, rather than taking the van out. Raphael followed after his brother's example to climb out of the grating, and then turned back to help pull Karina out too.

She stood a little breathless in the cold night air, quite forgetting to let go of his hand. He didn't pull away from her – the two merely stood still for a moment, taking in their first sight of the snow covered scenery. Karina laughed after a couple of seconds, reaching out a free gloved hand to catch a couple of falling snowflakes.

"It's beautiful…it looks like something out of a book."

Raphael had closed his eyes for an instant, as the suffocating feeling dissipated like magic, now that he had the chance to breathe the free air again. "Yeah, it's really something." He agreed.

"Hey guys, c'mon!" Mike popped up from behind a hedge, effectively startling both of them so that their hands instantly parted. "The coast is clear."

Raphael and Karina followed him out to join Leonardo. They trekked for a ways through the trees, the hush of the snow creating an unnatural silence over the atmosphere. As they ascended an incline, Raphael couldn't resist tugging that hat that seemed to _engulf_ Karina.

"You look like you're ready for the arctic." He told her.

"Jenna said it was the warmest thing she had. I have _California_ blood, remember? I _still _could shrivel up out here."

"At least _you're_ not cold-blooded." He quipped, as she yanked back on his scarf.

"_You're_ the one who looks like an Eskimo over here. I hardly recognize you under all that." She told him playfully.

"That ain't such a bad thing, seein' as how we're on the surface, right?"

As she lost her footing on the hill, he reached out an arm to steady her.

"You okay, or are you gonna lose it completely?" He laughed at her.

"I don't have my sea legs yet."

"It's _snow_ Karina."

"It's all the same difference to me. The only time I've even _seen_ snow up close was the last time I visited Kat in New York."

"I'll be your training wheels, but you'd _better_ not take me down with you." He mock threatened the woman.

They'd fallen slightly behind the others, her arm now firmly entwined in his as they finally crested the top of the hill. They had sped up their pace a little bit to catch up with Leo and Mike, but then nearly frozen in their step in the same instant.

"Oh shell." Raphael was the first to speak, as they both stared at the lights in the distance. "That's_ incredible_."

Karina's grasp was just barely grazing his wrist now, as her own breath caught in her throat. "I've seen them up close, but looking at it this way, seeing everything at _once_...it's amazing."

Her gaze slowly drifted back to Raphael, catching his eye for a moment. _Something_ in that look made his legs actually tremor, even though she was hardly touching him.

_Is it possible she could ever feel anything like that? _He wondered to himself. _It's hard to imagine, but then Jenna...  
_He didn't bother finishing the thought, as Leonardo called for the two of them to come join them.


	49. Barriers

(Six Days Later)

* * *

"Alright, this is _officially_ the dumbest song I've ever heard." Raphael complained. "Can't we listen to something else?"

"_Some_ of us like it Raphael." Karina attempted to sound irritated as she punched the turtle in the arm, even though she was trying hard not to laugh.

"What's to like? And what the heck is a turtledove? You've got _turtles_, and then you've got _birds_. Is there some kind of freaky crossbreed of the two?"

"Did you want me to change the song Raph?" Michelangelo offered. "I can get right on that."

The turtle repressed a smile as he made an adjustment on Donatello's mp3 player. Raphael listened tolerantly to the opening of the new song, but the second the _singing_ started, a look of complete bewilderment took over.

"_What _the shell? Turn this junk off before I _hurt_ you!"

Mike was laughing so hard he could hardly stand up straight.

"Do I hear _chipmunks_ again?" Leonardo called from the staircase. "I thought we told Donnie to_ ban _that song!"

"I couldn't resist Leo." Mike managed to get out between breathes.

"That's not even _funny_ anymore." The blue-banded turtle scowled at him.

"And yet we continue to_ listen _to it." Raphael remarked. "Seriously - don't _make _me come over there Mike!"

Donatello hobbled into the room, shooting Raphael a look. "You stay _away_ from my dock Raph, these crutches can double as weapons."

"Point that _look_ at your little brother." Raphael shot back.

"Mike..." Donnie said warningly.

"Donnie, if you _hated_ it, it wouldn't still be on your playlist!"

"I could have _sworn_ I deleted it altogether."

A knock at the door interrupted the two of them, and Leonardo trotted over to get it since he was the closest. He found Luke and Kat loaded down with bags, and instantly moved to help them.

"How much food did you _bring_? You could've called one of us to come get you."

"We've _grown_ Leo - and you guys have never been known to waste it." Luke said impishly to the turtle.

"_You're_ one to talk." Mike cracked in return. "But thanks again anyway. With all the stuff I _still_ have to get done for tomorrow, it's nice not to have to cook _tonight_."

"_Why_ is the song starting over?" Raphael demanded over him, and Karina finally bolted off the couch to fix the player herself.

"_There_, are you happy?" Karina asked, even as she smacked him with a couch cushion.

"Ecstatic. We get to hear _more_ Christmas music."

"Boy, there's just no pleasing you, is there?"

Katherine released the bags she was carrying to Michelangelo, and the turtle pointed her to one of the chairs.

"Take a load off Kat, we'll handle getting everything warmed back up again." He told her.

"I _know_ you just don't want me near your kitchen Mike."

"Well I _do_ need to be able to use it tomorrow." He grinned at her, and then turned to follow Leo into the kitchen.

"Donnie, would you get_ off _that knee please?" Luke suggested, pointing the turtle to the recliner that was adjacent to Katherine. "You _still_ need to spend a good amount of time elevating it."

"I'm surprised you haven't moved back in to supervise yet Doc." Donatello commented, as he slowly lowered into the chair.

"I still _might _if you won't take it easy enough." Luke warned him.

"Hey guys," Karina finally forced a word in. "How's the house?"

"Still standing." Katherine replied. "We finally broke out the decorations last weekend."

"What's the point?" Raphael interjected. "Christmas is _tomorrow_."

"We'll leave 'em up through New Years Raph." Luke answered him. "We've just been a little preoccupied."

Jenna appeared in the kitchen doorway a moment later. "I need some help with drinks - any volunteers?"

"C'mon lazybones." Karina teased Raphael. "You can serve someone _else_ for a change."

"Who are you callin' lazy, huh? I worked out with the guys for over two hours today."

"Doesn't mean you can't help someone else. Let's go buddy, move your shell."

He grumbled something under his breath, but willing followed Karina into the kitchen.

Donatello shot a pointed glance in Katherine's direction, a smile playing on his lips. "You can call me crazy Kat...but I think my brother _likes_ your sister."

Katherine slapped a hand over her own mouth to stifle her laughter. "I've had my suspicions about _those_ two since Thanksgiving."

"_How_?" Donatello asked. "I've been _living_ with them, and it took me longer than that!"

"She's a _woman_ Donnie - and she knows her sister." Luke offered.

"I _don't _actually know her like I should hon. But they were so obvious at that dinner, kept sneaking these little glances at each other when they thought the other one wasn't looking. Their interest was _deafening_."

"He spends_ a lot _of time with her Kat. This doesn't...it doesn't freak you out, does it?" Donatello asked a little tentatively, and she reached out toward his shoulder.

"Donnie...you know that _none _of us have ever looked down on you guys, or thought of you as being worth any _less_ than the humans that populate our planet. If this was to work out for both of them to be happy...I'd be thrilled. Heck, if _Luke_ hadn't snapped me up, I could've been perfectly content with one of your brothers." She finished sardonically.

"I'm sorry, who tracked _who_ down?" Luke demanded of his wife playfully back. "If I recall correctly, you're the one who broke down _my _door."

"And you weren't _thrilled_ to see me?" Katherine challenged.

"It was more like _stunned_ Kat." The man replied dryly.

* * *

Leonardo left a couple of minutes later to wait for the rest of the humans at the van entrance, while Michelangelo, Raphael, and Karina finished getting the long table set back up again. Raphael was returning to the kitchen with some silverware that had hit the floor, and paused in his stride to gaze at Jenna, who was washing something out in the sink.

"You doing okay in here? Do you need any help?" He asked, only because he hadn't worked up the nerve to go really where he wanted to yet.

"I'm almost finished." She told him, shooting the turtle a curious glance. "You alright? You got kind of quiet in here."

"I guess that's out of character for me?"

"You've _always_ been the one with something to say. Is something bothering you?"

"No, not really. I'm just trying to sort through some things, figure_ myself _out again. So are you like the long lost sister that we never had, or what? It must have been_ some _kind of adjustment coming to live down here with us."

"I don't know." She said a little vaguely. "You have to understand that I'm _happier _when I'm with you guys, than I've ever been before. Moving back and forth between Sydney and the United States, _that _was harder to live than this arrangement. It isn't to say that everything was automatically perfect. But simply_ getting _to the point with Donnie where he finally accepted the fact that we're supposed to be together...it was exhilarating in itself."

"How _did_ it work out, being separated that much?"

She shook her head lightly. "Well, our only _complete_ separation was for that first year, before I started school. We just kept in close contact, never gave up on it. After that, my time was split between the two continents."

"But your Mom never knew anything about us, until that night at the UN right?"

"_That _was the hardest part of all of it." Jenna admitted. "She did have _vague_ details concerning you guys, and was completely aware that I was in love with one of my former rescuers...but not much else."

"How did it happen with Donnie? I mean, when did you know that you wanted to be with him?"

"It's difficult to explain. I was so closed off, so _hard_ before I met all of you. The whole experience brought out a vulnerability that I'd never exposed to _anyone_. Donnie and I just clicked, almost from the start. It wasn't just because he saved my life either...there was...something about him. We _worked_ together."

"Who made the first move?"

She smiled to herself. "I had to, of course. I probably gave him the shock of his life, but I couldn't walk away without trying."

"The whole_ mutant _thing didn't dissuade you?"

"No, because the exterior isn't who you _are_. That's true in _both_ our cases."

"But were you _attracted _to him, physically I mean?" The turtle asked a little more slowly.

She laughed a little shyly for the first time. "You guys are _all_ good looking in your own unique way. I can honestly say I've never had a problem in that department."

"So everything is like clockwork?" He asked after another moment of hesitation. "You _never_ had issues with the differences between you?"

"Donatello always had a harder time getting over the physiological barriers than I did."

"He _told _me he kinda gave you a hard time of it for awhile. But you never quit comin' after him?"

"I loved him -_ do _love him. As you so eloquently demonstrated to him once, those feelings can't always just disappear."

"I said that?"

"_After _taunting him that he could have shoved me off on one you guys, if he was actually tired of me."

The turtle snorted in return. "I can't imagine how well that went over."

"His _reaction_ made the point clear enough Raph."


	50. Waiting Up

It was after one in the morning, and Karina hadn't slept for more than ten minutes at a time, barely dozing at all in between tossing and turning. She finally sat up with a bit of resignation, sighing wearily.

_My __sleeping__ patterns have sure changed since moving here, _she mused thoughtfully, and reached for the fuzzy slippers lying by the side of the bed. She could see the faintest trace of light coming underneath her door, indicating that someone else was either up, or had forgotten to turn all the lights off.

Karina ventured out of the bedroom into the hall, and could hear the soft strain of notes coming from the living area. The Christmas lights were the only thing casting illumination over the room. She smiled, and then laughed when she saw Raphael lying on the couch, both arms behind his head.

The turtle popped up immediately when he heard her, and she laughed harder.

"Do my ears deceive me? Are you listening to _Christmas_ music?"

"I couldn't figure out how to change the stupid playlist." He grumbled.

Karina listened closer for a moment. "Well, this list isn't so bad anyway, is it? More serious maybe. No chipmunks." She finished with a twinkle.

"If he plays that song _one_ more time..."

"Shh, now don't get yourself all worked up. We're nice and quiet down here, let's try to keep it that way. Unless you _want_ more company down here that is."

"Why should I start being social _now_?" He said impishly.

"My point exactly. Scoot your big shell over."

He swiftly made space for her on the couch, drawing up into a cross-legged position that felt incredibly natural on the couch.

"So what are you doing down here?" She asked him.

"Waiting for Santa Claus."

"He won't come if you're not _asleep_." She pointed out. "Didn't anyone ever teach you that?"

"Not that I remember." He answered tongue in cheek, and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Are you alright?" She asked more seriously.

"Yeah." He said firmly. "I just wasn't really tired. And it's kinda nice to be down here when it's quiet, and there's no one around to bug ya, except for the stupid cat."

"When are you going to lay off Tiger Raph? The guys say you used to love her!"

"Kari, I _don't _like cats. I don't know what else to say - I just don't."

She decided it wasn't worth wasting the breath arguing with him about it.

"How much longer do you think the guys will make you stay?" Raphael asked her suddenly, noting her surprised look. "Yeah, I figured they talked you into it. Can't say I blame 'em,_ I _wouldn't have wanted to be left alone with me either."

"No one _made_ me stay Raph, and they didn't have to talk me into it either. Leo asked if I would, and I agreed. They just didn't wanna have to crack down on you_ themselves_."

"Whereas _you_ come by it naturally." Raphael snorted, and then got more serious too. "I know you talk about not being _strong_ and all, but I just don't see it Kari. You don't seem to have the slightest problem asserting yourself."

"_You_ bring it out of me." She said. "I've never been that forceful with _anyone_."

"That's not what _Mike_ says."

"_What_ does Mike say?"

"That you yelled at him in Spanish, and were ready to _fight_ if you had to."

"I was _shocked_. How's a girl _supposed_ to react to walking in on one of you for the first time?"

"I dunno...some of 'em just faint."

"What good would _that_ have done me?"

"You've got me. Are you trying to wait until after the holidays to find an apartment, something like that?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" She asked feistily.

"No." He answered quickly. _Just the opposite_. "But I wanted to make sure that I--that we're not like holding you _back_ or anything."

"Raph, I'm here because I_ want _to be. No one made me come here to begin with - or_ forced _me to stay. And I'm still getting things done on the surface, and getting the lay of the city along with Jenna. She's becoming a really great friend."

The turtle smiled at her, in a slightly indiscernible way. "Do you wanna open a present?"

"Right now? Aren't we supposed to do all that in the morning?"

"It _is_ morning." He said wryly, rising to his feet to go over to the tree. "And I'd rather give it to you without an _audience _present anyway."

She sat up a little further on the couch, eyeing him curiously as he picked up something from behind the tree.

"What did you do?" She asked him.

"You've put up with me for over a month, I figured the _least_ I could do was get you something."

"I see. Did you amble on down 5th Avenue?"

"There's this magical thing called the _internet_ Karina. Just open it, will ya?"

Taking a small breath she obeyed him, tearing off the multicolored paper from the small box without any particular rhyme or reason.

The case contained a silver filigree pendant, with a kind of abstract design. The casual observer probably wouldn't have recognized what the piece represented, but Karina's sharp green eyes picked out the _bull_ horns almost immediately. A somewhat amazed look grazed her face, as she traced the delicate swirls of the design, and brought one finger to rest on the dark red crystal in the center.

Karina drew it out of the case with a small laugh. "Where did you _find_ this?"

"I already told you - the internet is a _magical _place."

"I _love_ it. Thank you." She said immediately, throwing both arms around the surprised turtle's neck.

"It's just uh...it made me think of you." He said, sounding suddenly more shy than he ever had.

"It's one of the nicest things anyone's ever given me." She told him.

"I'm glad ya like it." He said, rubbing the back of his head a little self consciously. Whenever he got nervous, it seemed like his consistent headache became slightly more pronounced. "So...do you wanna shake the rest of the presents under the tree?"

She giggled at him, tapping him firmly on the shoulder. "You're _hopeless _Raph."

* * *

When Leonardo came out of his bedroom upstairs about four hours later, he noticed the faint glow from the living area almost immediately.

_No way that's Mikey yet, he can't have gotten started __this__ early_, he thought curiously, and peeked over the banister below.

He laughed quietly when he saw Karina asleep on the couch, and Raphael in the adjacent recliner.

_Those two just can't stay away from each other for a few hours, can they? _He mused, and silently made his way down the stairs.

He didn't remotely disturb a sleeping Karina, but Raphael jerked awake the second that he hit the ground floor. The red-banded turtle instantly relaxed his posture when he saw that it was Leonardo, and then rubbed one eye tiredly.

"Hey." Raph called softly, releasing the foot rest for a moment on the chair. "What time is it?"

"It's early yet." Leonardo told him. "I just wanted to get a little done, before everything gets going down here."

"You're one _dedicated _guy, aren't you?"

Leonardo shrugged at him. "Truthfully, it's not just about the physical Raph, the workouts help keep me _calm_, centered. It helps put me in the right frame of mind."

"More power to you brother. I think I'm going to get a little more shut eye."

"I'll try to keep it down - no music this morning, I promise."

"I'll take your ColdPlay over some of the junk _Mike's_ been playing, any day of the week." Raphael grumbled, and then softened just a little bit. "Hey Leo? _Thanks_."

The blue-banded turtle cocked his head, somewhat mystified. "For what Raph?"

"Just...thanks."


	51. Girl's Night

(Four Days Later)

* * *

As Karina and Jenna were walking up to the back of the house in Chelsea together, the raven haired girl snuck a glance at Karina. Whether the woman knew it or not, she was in for a sort of ambush tonight. "Girl's Night" was actually only an excuse to get her up into the free air, where she could talk more openly.

Katherine met the two of them at the back door, and smiled wider when she saw the bowl her sister was carrying.

"Is that what I hope it is?" Kat asked her.

"My caramel popcorn chex mix Kat - I made it _just_ for you."

"That's_ great_, but what's everyone else supposed to eat?" Katherine joked, as she took the tupperware away from her.

April ducked into the kitchen to join them. "Hey ladies. Better make yourselves comfortable, Kat's got our _whole_ evening planned out."

"I do _not_. I don't understand what was so wrong with making a list April!"

"Broken into one hour time blocks." April tried to say with a straight face.

"I spend _half_ my time beating up criminals - what do I know about all the girly stuff?" Katherine protested.

"You should have seen the _book_ she wrote for her sixteenth birthday." Karina told April under her breath. "The plan was at least ten pages long."

"_Nobody_ ever forgot that party Kari!"

"They had to sleep for a _week _afterwards." Karina told the other two women.

"I'm starting to understand why we never asked you to host one of these before Kat." Jenna teased.

"Why's everyone comin' down on me tonight? All I did was try to get us all together for a good time." Katherine pouted slightly, and Karina threw an arm around her waist.

"Sorry sis, just making up for some lost time."

"Right so...the food should be here in like twenty minutes--" Katherine tried to be serious again.

"Did you fax them a copy of your timeline?" April interrupted her, and received a dirty look for it. "_Okay_, I'm finished."

"Let me see that ring again April." Jenna spoke up, to quickly change the subject.

"It hasn't changed, but I haven't gotten tired of showing it off yet either." April verily beamed at them.

"That rock looks like _somebody's_ marrying a big shot doctor." Karina said impishly, taking the moment to admire her hand too.

"It took him long enough." Jenna laughed.

"Not as long as it took _your _guy." April pushed back.

"You've got me there. But they say that the _best _things are worth waiting for." Jenna replied.

"How's he _doing_?" Katherine asked her. "Luke said he seems to be progressing well, but _you're_ the one who lives with him."

"He's dealing with pain, but he tries to just push right through it. I hate it, but he _refuses_ to stay off of it completely. He's got a couple of big projects coming up though, so that should help keep him behind the computer, instead of trying to run around."

"Why don't you girls go get a seat, and I'll bring the drinks around." Katherine offered, shooing them into the next room.

They made themselves at home in the living room, and Karina cast her sister a smile when she joined them with a tray a couple of minutes later.

"The place looks _great _Kat. You guys have done an amazing job on this house."

"Well, _a lot _of it was done before I ever came into the picture Kari. Luke and his parents did most of the restoration - and he kept it up somewhat through the years, up until this last Spring that is. After his ordeal with that psychotic man...he hadn't been himself for awhile, not interested in things that he used to_ love _doing. I've been so worried about him.

Strangely enough, the junk with Raphael seems to have snapped him _back_, at least for the most part. At least it gave him an outlet for his massive _energy _again."

"He _does_ tend to just keep going and going, doesn't he?" Karina laughed.

"That's _Luke_, always has been." Katherine remarked.

"Karina, Donnie and I actually had our very first 'date' in this house." Jenna said, rather off the cuff.

"Come again?" Karina was slightly confused.

"Or we were _set up _rather, in the most painfully obvious way." Jenna giggled.

"Set up by who?"

"I _believe_ that was a joint effort between Luke and the brothers." April offered. "We all realized that there was some kind of chemistry happening between him and Jenna. I guess they figured they needed to help things along."

Karina groaned. "That sounds embarrassing."

Jenna only shrugged with a grin. "Something had _already _happened, they just didn't know it at the _time_. Anyway, we came out here to watch some lunar eclipse that Donnie had been really excited about, and it was a fantastic night. I got a little more _emotional _than I'd planned on, but at least it didn't manage to ruin anything." Jenna finished, sighing at the memory. Then she glanced at the other two girls, who both nodded in return.

"Karina, maybe it's time for this house to work it's magic again." Jenna said coyly.

"What are you talking about?"

"There's just something _freeing _about escaping the confines of the Den for an evening." Jenna continued.

"I thought that was what we were doing_ tonight_." Karina was thoroughly confused.

"Yes, but I'm speaking more along the lines of you coming_ back _here with a certain turtle of your own." Jenna spelled out clearly for her.

Katherine had never seen her sister turn that red, so quickly.

"Oh my word..."

"Karina, it's _us_." Katherine interjected quickly. "Now if you say we're wrong, we'll drop it, and you'll never hear a word of it from us ever again. But it honestly seems like _both_ of you have some feelings invested here."

The woman stopped covering her face a moment later. "I don't know _why_ I'm even surprised - it's not like we've been hiding all behind closed doors or anything."

"It's true, isn't it?" Kat pressed lightly. "There _is _something there."

"Against _all _odds." Karina shook her head. "I never even _saw_ this coming - and now I don't know what to do _next_. I've been flirting with him like _crazy_, but I still can't get an idea of what he really wants out of this!"

"If you're waiting for _him_ to make a bold move, you could end up waiting awhile Kari." Jenna told her. "I can tell you from experience, jumping the physiological barrier is _not _easy for them. Even though Raphael has _guts_, and he's older than Donnie was at the time...I don't see him acting quickly."

"How did it happen with Donnie?"

"I had to take the complete offensive, or it _never_ would have gotten done before I had to leave New York."

"Oh _great_, so you're saying all the pressure is on me, huh?"

"Sort of." Jenna said honestly. "But you can see how hard this is for them, can't you?"

Karina nodded mutely, and then looked around the circle at the three woman together. "Alright. Exactly _what_ are you proposing that I do here?"

"I was thinking of New Years Kari," Katherine spoke up. "Luke and I can _easily_ make ourselves scarce, and you guys could have the house."

"Won't that seem kind of obvious to him?" Karina asked.

"You are trying to send a clear message to him, aren't you?" April pointed out. "And if he_ isn't _interested, he won't want to come anyway."

"Or he'll feel _obligated_ to come because I invited him." Karina said.

"You can come up with all of the excuses in the book not to try it Karina." Jenna told the woman. "The question is, do you _want _something to happen, or don't you?"

Hesitantly, Karina nodded.

"Then it's time to try a bolder tactic. It could be just the encouragement that he needs to act for himself."

"What - you think I'll get him in this house, and he'll automatically be ready to take the next step?"

"It's sure not going to hurt your chances." April chuckled.


	52. Happy New Year

*** If you'd like a good backdrop for this chapter - I'd suggest the song "You and Me" by Lifehouse. I often write along with music, and it was my inspiration.**

(Two Days Later)

* * *

Raphael hesitated for a long moment in the shadows outside the house, causing Karina to pause in her stride as well.

"Everything okay?" She asked.

He nodded after a second. "Yeah. I was just sort of hoping...I thought maybe comin' here might bring something else out of me."

"Memory wise you mean?"

"It _was_ the scene of the crime."

"Does it remind you of anything?"

"Nada." He couldn't help answering with a half grin.

"You'll be bilingual before you _know_ it turtle. Can we go inside now? It's freezing."

"Yeah, sure...sorry." He replied, letting out a breath as she grazed his wrist to pull him inside.

Karina let them in the back door, and hurried to turn off the alarm.

"Alright - Luke and Kat won't be back until around 2 or so...I suppose we can easily hold down the fort between the two of us, can't we?"

"Do we have like a menu set-up or something? 'Cause it's _late_, and I'm seriously hungry." The turtle mentioned.

"We don't need take out. I never got to make my Christmas fettuccine - and I figured tonight would be good for it."

"You mean I get to sit back by the fire, and you're gonna _cook_ for me?" He said impishly.

"No, you're going to keep me _company_." She clarified. "And you can make yourself useful too. Sit down at the table, and I'll give you something to do."

"Would this be a good time to mention I don't know_ jack _about cooking?"

"_Relax_ Raph, you can just prep a couple of things for me. Think you can take a broccoli crown apart?"

"Broccoli has a crown?"

Karina laughed at him. "That's what some markets call it, when they sell it by the head without the stalk. You're supposed to break it into manageable pieces."

"How many pieces do you want?"

"Raph, you don't have to be _that_ precise."

"It might_ help _if you were. Otherwise, I can just break it in _half_ like this, and call it a day. See? Half for you, half for me. What more do you need?"

"You're a comedian tonight, huh? Just hack the crap out of it, so you come up with several florets. Is that clear enough for you?" She asked, wagging a finger at him.

"That's _all_ you had to say sweetheart." Raphael grinned.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Karina already had the kitchen smelling fantastic just from the pan she was already tending.

"So this is a tradition with you?" Raphael asked.

"It used to be a family thing." The woman said a little wistfully. "A _latin_ family cooking italian for the holidays might sound a little strange, I know. But my Mom was looking for a change one year, and we all loved it so much that we kept asking for it again after that."

"Tell me more about your Mom." Raphael requested. "If it doesn't bother you that is. The guys don't seem to mind talking about _our_ father, but I know you might not feel the same way."

"It's alright." Karina said. "My Mom came to the United States with her family when she was sixteen...she was very determined to learn the language, and become a citizen herself. She met my Dad a couple of years down the road."

"You said he was a cop, didn't you?"

Karina nodded, giving her attention momentarily back to stirring the sauce. "Things were good between them in the beginning. My Mom always said that she married one man...who changed into someone else entirely. Some trauma related to the job."

She didn't elaborate, and it didn't seem like she wanted to talk about him anymore.

"Was you Mom always a dancer?" Raphael changed the subject.

"She was a teacher, a very good one. She ran in the right social circles with my father, made contacts...started building a business up from there. Kat, Brandon, and I, we all had lessons of course. I was the only one interested in really pursuing it further. The two of them were always more..._physical_. They jumped on the Tai Kwon Do train when they were teenagers, and never looked back."

"Did that ever make you feel left out? I mean, if all of my brothers were into ninjitsu and I _wasn't_...I'm not sure how that'd make me feel."

"It didn't bother me." She told him. "I sort of kept to myself anyway. Dancing was life back then, it was practically the only thing I thought about."

"So it wasn't just your Mom's dream - it was yours' too?"

"Same _passion_, different direction." Karina admitted. "Teaching was on the agenda, for sometime down the road. But not until after my own career was over - at least, that was how the fantasy went."

"Why didn't you go for it?" He asked not unkindly.

"When I was fifteen...I spent that summer helping my Mom out at the studio. It got her so excited, she was thrilled to have me by her side. She already knew that Kat and Brandon were looking very different directions, and I was sort of her last hope for carrying things on. It wasn't that she ever pressured me or anything. I'd always kind of felt like my fantasies were just a pipe dream anyway. How many people actually get accepted to Juilliard?"

Raphael didn't really know _what_ to say, so he waited to see if she would go on.

"I'm a life lesson in regret Raphael. I was too scared to go for what I really wanted back then, and I'll always pay the price for it. I'll always have to wonder."

The turtle cocked his head at her. "But if you're _always_ looking back, how are you supposed to _get_ anywhere? I think eventually...you're gonna have to kiss whatever decisions you made goodbye, or you might not get to have a real life at _all."_

"I think leaving California was my first attempt in doing that." She told him, and lightly tapped her spoon on the edge of the pan to get off the excess sauce. "That ought do it Raph. Let me get combining here, and we'll be ready to eat."

* * *

"Chica, you can _cook_. I'd wager you could give Mike a run for his money." Raphael told her.

"Don't tell _him_ that. I rather enjoy the supporting role in the kitchen."

"Sure, it can be our little secret. You can just keep cooking for_ me_."

She gave him a look, and then caught sight of the clock out of the corner of her eye. They'd gotten a late start on the evening as it was, and now it was almost 11:30.

"You wanna go to the living room?" She asked. "We can take care of cleaning up later."

"Isn't a _ball_ supposed to be dropping or something?"

"Not for a few minutes, but we can go ahead and turn it on."

They ambled into the next room, and settled onto the oversized couch with the remote.

"The fire's beautiful and all, but it sure screws with the heating in this house." Karina remarked.

"You cold?" Raphael asked, and yanked the blanket off the back of the couch to toss at her.

"This must be why Luke got Kat a Snuggie for Christmas."

"A _what_?"

"The blanket with sleeves. You haven't seen the commercials? I'm sure she wouldn't be caught _dead_ in it."

"That sounds...interesting." He allowed, lightly rubbing both hands over her arms, as if to generate more heat.

"Who are you kidding? You have to be colder than I am." She pointed out, and he shrugged.

"It's not so bad, and the change in scenery is sure nice. They've done okay for themselves up here."

They talked about _nothing_ in particular for the next few minutes, with the TV on low in the background. When it got closer to midnight, Karina reached over to turn it up.

"Okay, this is it."

"How many people are _out _there?" Raphael asked.

"A _ton_ Raph - it's the happening place to be in New York City."

"Do you wish _you_ were there?"

She glanced at him for an instant, light green eyes regarding him in all seriousness. "I'm exactly where I want to be."

While the voices counted down on the television, she fidgeted somewhat nervously on the couch, her gaze actually boring into the wall _beside_ the television screen. Karina exhaled softly when they reached _one,_ and fixed Raphael with a playful gaze.

"There's a tradition about New Years' y'know." She said.

"What's that?"

"You're supposed to kiss somebody at midnight. It means good luck in relationships for the rest of the year, some junk like that."

His breath had already caught in his throat, as he was quite unable to tear his amber gaze away from hers'. "Is that how it goes?"

"Mm hm. And it's bad luck to break a tradition - that's what Donnie tells me."

"He _does_ seem pretty smart. It's probably not a good idea for me to tempt the fates either - I sure don't need anymore bad luck."

Hesitantly, more than a little awkward, the two met in a brief contact of a peck. Neither of them moved immediately after it, hovering as it were in mid-air, like time had decided to suspend itself. The pause last nearly five seconds, before each seemed to sense the other moving at the exact same moment.

A single thought didn't cross between the pair, as Karina was suddenly wrapped in his arms, kissing him deeply. To Raphael, it felt like he'd literally stepped outside of his body, as he kissed her back eagerly. She cast her blanket completely to the side, pressing both hands against his plastron to push him down on the arm of the couch.

The woman nuzzled in next to him, kissing him again in a more deliberately lingering fashion, that left the turtle with the biggest goose bumps yet.

"Wait a second." He said a little breathlessly. "Are you out of your freakin' mind?"

She laughed, tracing a finger along the line of his jaw. "I don't think so. Are _you_?"

"Well, I _do_ have brain damage."

She dropped her forehead against his, so that her bronze hair fell slightly over him. "I think I can live with that."


	53. Falling

They'd had to return underground a couple of hours later, and Raphael walked into the kitchen merely to get some water. He was surprised to find Donatello, trying to reach something from an upper cabinet with serious difficulty.

"Hey brother - you're not supposed to be stretching your knee that way, are you?" Raphael admonished him.

"Uh...no, not really." The turtle sheepishly admitted.

"What are you trying to get?"

"That tin box up there - one of the _girls_ must have put it away last."

Raphael maneuvered on his tiptoes, and managed to get a hand on it. "_You're_ up late." He remarked, as he passed the box over to him.

"I couldn't sleep." Donatello told him. "The muscle spasms seem to come on stronger at night sometimes."

"I don't _get_ you." Raphael said. "You go to the trouble to _make_ these drugs, and then you don't wanna _use_ 'em? That painkiller is good stuff, I can tell you." He finished with a wry smile.

"I don't want to take anything unless I'm _desperate_." Donatello replied. "If you use a certain pain killer often, you run the risk of your body getting _used_ to it. Then you have to keep taking stronger and stronger doses to get the same effect as before, until eventually it won't even make a _dent _in the pain anymore." Donatello paused to sift through the leaves, and glanced back at Raphael. "Can I make you some?"

"I'm not really into tea like that - but I wouldn't mind sitting with you for awhile. So this isn't just a macho thing here, you trying to prove you can handle the pain or something dumb like that?"

Donnie rolled his eyes. "I'm _beyond_ needing to prove myself that way. You have to understand that I lived with pain for _months_ before Marcus ever came along, and it was a lot worse than anything I'm dealing with right _now_."

Raphael shook his head at him. "My first impression of you couldn't have _been_ more wrong."

"We can't all be as up-front as_ you _are Raph." Donatello grinned, as he started to steep a couple of leaves. "How did things _go_ anyway?"

"How'd _what_ go?"

"Your evening with a certain _human_ on the surface." Donatello clarified mischievously, and his brother groaned.

"Ah _shell_, you guys _knew_?"

Donatello laughed. "It's been just a_ tad _obvious bro. You've never truly embraced subtlety."

The red-banded turtle was clearly a little flustered, and didn't meet his gaze right away.

"She's _gotta_ be the most gorgeous thing I ever laid eyes on." He murmured half to himself.

"And?" Donatello pushed.

"She's not a bad _kisser_ either."

Donnie couldn't keep from laughing again, pounding one fist excitedly on the counter top.

"You're not gonna make me regret telling you, are you?" Raphael said with exasperation.

"I'm just _happy_ for you. She's an incredible woman Raph, and I think you suit each other really well."

"I don't know _what_ to think about all of it right now Donnie...I'm still trying to come back down to earth."

* * *

It had been fourteen hours, and Raphael still couldn't get rid of the new sensation in his stomach. Every time he _saw_ her, he felt himself grinning like an idiot, no matter how he tried to stop. Even the daily exercises that Leo had been running him through weren't sufficiently taking up his attention today. Leonardo didn't bother scolding him for how distracted he was. Everyone deserved a break from time to time, and his brother had a good _reason_ for being slightly preoccupied.

Leonardo finally motioned for him to sit down on the mat, and they both backed up against the wall for support.

"How are you_ feeling _today?" Leo asked him with a hint of a smile.

"Brother, I don't even know. I'm still waiting to wake _up_."

Leonardo tried hard to maintain a serious expression for him, as Raphael seemed to be thinking over his words.

"I tell ya, it was honestly like...like it wasn't even _me_ doing it. Weirdest thing ever." He continued, before getting quiet again.

Leonardo could read the nerves coming off of him, in the background of the exhilaration he was experiencing.

"She's a _rare_ girl Raph. I think you've really got something there."

"Yeah, but what _next_ Leo? This has all happened so fast. I don't know where you're supposed to go from here. Should I ask her to stay _indefinitely_? Or even that could be jumping the gun. I'm afraid of comin' on too strong here, making her think I expect something out of her. Last night was _amazing_, but it coulda just been something that _happens_ when two...people are together like we've been."

"You're afraid it was a fluke?"

Raphael shrugged uncertainly.

"Don't forget that she doesn't _have_ to be here Raph. She chose to stay, and she _chose _to be with you last night." Leonardo said slowly. "I'm not going to pretend that I know how you feel. But if you could take a page out of Donatello's history book, I'd say you should try and let this ride out. Don't shut it down before it has a chance to go somewhere." Leonardo finished, with a somewhat sad smile.

The look mystified Raphael. "What is it Leo? What's that face for?"

"I just wish Sensei could talk to you, that's all. He'd be a lot more help than I am."

Raphael gave him a light shove in the shoulder. "You're doin' fine."

The look in his troubled dark eyes didn't really falter, something Raphael had found himself gradually becoming more sensitive to.

"You take a lot on yourself, don't you Leo?" Raphael asked him. "Everything falls on you?"

"I don't try to." The blue-banded turtle answered. "But too often...that's how it ends up."

"You really can't control _everything_ that happens," Raphael pointed out to him. "What's the point in takin' the blame for all of it?"

"I know I _shouldn't. _It just always seems like there's something more that I could do."

"We've _been_ okay, haven't we?" Raphael asked. "No falling out since we've been on our own? Everybody gets along and all that junk?"

Leonardo nodded. "Better than ever actually."

"So why don't you ease up on yourself? You ain't gotta be your worst critic, that's what _brothers_ are for." He finished sardonically.

"How do you see that?"

"I've been_ living _here Leonardo. Being _lost_ doesn't mean I'm _blind_."

* * *

Raphael was sitting in the Lounge a couple of hours later, when Karina found him there. He almost dropped his guitar when she walked in, immediately fighting to steady his grip on it.

"Hey. Are you getting anywhere?" She asked with a smile.

"Don't know about specific songs...I'm just playing with notes, seeing what works together." He replied.

"Donnie says you're amazing on that thing."

The turtle set it back down carefully on the stand. "It's probably something I'll 'remember' in time, like fighting."

"Just don't get impatient with it." She advised him.

"_Me, _impatient? Where would you get an idea like that?" He said sarcastically, his heart beating a little faster when she rested a hand on his shoulder. "Um...so last night. What was that?" He went on.

"What did it feel like?"

"Sort of...like you might kinda dig me after all."

She laughed. "Really? Whatever gave you _that_ idea?"

He was a bit flustered, searching for words that might not completely embarrass himself. "Did it...did that just _happen_, or does it mean something else? What I'm trying to say is, do you want something out of this?"

"_Uh huh_." She said pointedly, his skin tingling as she lowered herself to his leg. "I'm not that impulsive Raph. I tend to think things to death, contemplate before I act, that sort of thing."

"I'm not really like that. Usually." The turtle clarified.

"Thinking is overrated." She told him, leaning closer to his plastron so that she could kiss him.

He raised a hand to cup her under the cheek as he kissed her back. Her skin felt so warm and alive under his touch, bringing back a sense of reality in the midst of what _still_ felt like a dream. Raphael pulled slightly away so that he could look her in the eyes, though his hand never left her face.

"Do you _wanna_ make a go of this Karina? For real?"

She pressed more firmly against his hand, nodding at the same moment. "Yes...I do."

"Even with the way everything is?"

"Raph, I'm not going to tell you that I _know_ what I'm doing, any more than you do. But I'm not about to walk out that door."

"Then you wanna stay?"

"You know it's been my choice all along Raphael." She answered him, leaning close to his chest again.

She closed her eyes for a long instant as she kissed him again, and then focused back on his amber set. "There's no point in fighting it, is there Raphael? We _both_ want it, don't we?"

Wordlessly, he nodded.


	54. Life Savers

(One Week Later)

* * *

Raphael and Karina had only been walking around Central park for about forty minutes, but the woman was already tugging at him a little to leave.

"I know how much you love your 'freedom' and all, but it's honestly cold out here Raph. I _told _Doc I'd keep an eye on you." She finished a little coyly.

"As if he doesn't have enough to do with Donnie - he's gotta invent _more_ stuff to worry about." Raphael scoffed.

"He's _always_ worried about the four of you - he can't _help_ himself Raph. I think it's in the genes."

Raphael rolled his eyes. "_Alright_, we can head back already. Geesh, it _was_ warmer for a couple of days there, but I guess winter was bound to rear it's ugly head again."

"There are_ plenty _of things we can do underground that you still might have fun with." She teased him a little.

He hooked his arm more firmly around hers with a crooked smile. "I know. I just like havin' you all to myself. Feels crowded down there sometimes."

"I think your brothers have been pretty respectful of the two of us." She countered with a playful smile of her own.

"No, they've been fine. I'm just still kinda uncomfortable _showing_ everything, do you know what I mean?"

"I get it completely. You _want_ me, you just don't want _them_ to see any part of it."

He tugged lightly on her coat sleeve. "It's kinda embarrassing is all. Not that I'm _ashamed_ of you or nothin', I just don't know what I'm _doing_."

"You're _cute _when you're bashful."

"_See, _you gotta stop saying stuff like that. I'm not _supposed_ to be cute."

"You can't help what you _are_." She said maddeningly, snapping a gloved hand around his wrist.

"Just _don't_ say anything like that in front of the guys, 'cause they--"

Raphael cut himself off, as a cracking sound resounded over the path, echoing as if it'd come from a slight distance.

"What the shell was_ that_?"

"Could have been ice." Karina told him. "News said that the freeze took a beating from the sun the last couple of days. Things hadn't been completely solid yet anyway."

The red-banded turtle hadn't so much as stirred him his odd position, now cocking his head slightly too.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Listen. Do you hear that?"

The woman focused on trying to pick up whatever faint sound he was referring to, a voice registering in her ears a few seconds later.

"That's a_ person_." She stated.

He suddenly seized her arm again. "Remember we walked by that pond? C'mon!"

Raphael pulled her firmly to get the woman moving, and they started running back in the direction they'd originally come from. Karina had felt a lot of adrenaline in her lifetime, but being half-dragged by the turtle through the trees was a feeling she couldn't remotely compare to anything else.

It took roughly five minutes to get back to the incline where'd they'd originally noticed the moonlight glinting off the surface. From the same vantage point now, Raphael could make out a fissure in the ice, as well as a long piece of red material that stood out like a sore thumb against the _white _backdrop.

Karina's mind was racing with possibilities, but Raphael was already in motion again, stripping things off as he went.

"Raph--"

"Kari, I've gotta at least have a look. Stay here, stay away from the edge, alright?"

"But you--"

"I can _hold_ my breath, I'm a turtle, remember?" He yanked off his belt, and let the woman take it from him. "I'll be _back_." He assured her.

Raphael crouched low over the surface, working his way out further as carefully as he could on the uncertain ice. He winced at the sound of cracking beneath him, taking a sharp breath at the same moment. There was really only going to be one way to do this. He calmed his mind, sucked in deeply, and forced his way through the existing fissure into the water beneath.

Karina paced just off the edge, fingering Raphael's cell phone. She mentally started counting the seconds from the time that he'd gone under. The woman waited poised, searching for any sign of him. Karina started taking deeper breaths to keep _herself_ calm, forcing herself to count the seconds in real time, and not the rapid passage of time that her mind _feared_ had already passed.

Karina was fairly certain it had been almost three minutes, and she couldn't stand still in this spot any longer. She had to do _something,_ even attempting to clear a further path would be better than waiting uselessly. The woman glanced around swiftly at her surroundings, searching for something that could help her to further crack the surface of the ice closer to the bank.

Her eyes fell on a round barrel style trash can, and it instantly clicked in her mind. She hurried to yank the bag and debris out of it, and shoved it over on it's side to roll it back to the edge. Then she hefted it back into the upright position again, bringing it to bear hard on the ice. Nothing happened the first time, so she repeated the action twice more, not even feeling the rusted edge digging into the skin on her left hand.

Taking a bigger breath to compose herself and gather strength, she hurled it into the surface a fifth time, and actually felt the ice give somewhat underneath her. With a cry of triumph she brought it down one last time as hard as she could. The instant the ice gave way, she lost her own footing and fell into the water, gasping as it took her breath away. The sensation was something like being stabbed with a hundred knives at once, piercing every part of her.

Karina swiftly scrambled upright at the edge, clawing her way back onto solid ground. She'd lost all track of time now, but didn't have to wait but a few seconds more before she saw a disturbance in the water, what was clearly bubbles approaching. She sat up further on the ground as Raphael surfaced with a gasp of his own, heaving a bedraggled form over the surface with him. The woman quickly moved to help him, and he shot her an angry look.

"I _told_ you...to stay _out."_

"It's too late for that now." Karina informed him, as she helped support his victim from the other side.

Between the two of them they got his dead-weight to the earth. Karina flung dark hair back out of her face, as she bent over the stranger to look for signs of life.

"He's not breathing." She said tightly.

"Can you _help_ him?"

"I'm gonna _try_." Karina replied, swiftly positioning both hands firmly over his chest.

"Where's my phone? I gotta call my brothers."

"Over by the your other stuff Raph!"

Karina was almost impervious to the temperature, as she worked feverishly to try and force water out of the boy's lungs. Raphael made a little bit of a shaky phone call to Leonardo for help, and then returned to wait by Karina as she performed CPR, just barely trembling in the wind. His amber eyes went wide as the young man choked, and a raspy breath entered back into his chest. Raphael backed out of his line of vision, while Karina tried to help him force the rest of it up.

"Kari, I'll call 911, but I don't know_ how _they're gonna find us!"

"Give them a good description of what you can see from the path!" Karina called after him, as he used his remaining remnant of energy to get back up the hill.

With halting words, he tried to describe his surroundings to the operator who picked up, grasping just a little to make sense of all the shapes in the distance. Raphael stumbled on the incline coming back down, nearly falling twice before Karina came over to him.

"Raph, you've gotta get some of your stuff back on."

"What?"

"You're too _cold,_ you need to get under some layers."

"I'm okay Kari. I don-I don't need..."

He trailed off, as she lightly pulled him down onto a flat rock. The woman was clearly torn over who needed her _more_ at this particular moment. Grabbing his heavier coat, she draped it over his shell, and then crouched down to his level.

"Raph, you _have_ to stay awake, understand? I'm going to keep talking to you, and I need you to answer me."

With that, she hurried back over to the teenager, who was convulsing on the ground. She spent the following ten minutes watching the kid's breathing and pulse, while also calling out random things to Raphael to make certain he was still turtle wasn't sitting upright anymore, his posture so bent that it almost looked like he was curled up in a ball.

Karina heard doors slam, but she _hadn't_ heard sirens. She leaped to her feet off of the ground, desperately relived to see the two familiar forms at the top of the hill. Leonardo and Michelangelo hurried down, and Karina ran to meet them.

"Is everyone alright?" Leonardo got out first.

"Kid wasn't breathing when Raph pulled him out - we got him back, but he's still not doing great, Raph called 911 for him. I don't think _he's_ doing all that well either!"

"That water _can't_ be above freezing, and it's been at least twenty minutes since I got off the phone with him! Mike, go give him a shot of the adrenal-heat, I want a quick look at this kid!" Leonardo said swiftly, and Karina led the way.

"Raph?" Michelangelo said questioningly, tugging his brother's arm hard to get him to open his eyes. "Hey, don't freak out on me, okay? I'm going to give you something to make you warmer."

The epi-pens not _only_ made Donatello's formulas easier to transport, they were also easier to use than standard needles. Raphael didn't even seem to notice the prick from it.

"Hey Raph, talk to me." Mike urged him. "Are ya in there?"

His brother's chest shuddered slightly right before he pitched forward, and Michelangelo wrapped both arms around his chest to keep him off the ground. "LEO!"

The blue-banded turtle was already moving his direction, carrying what was a semi-conscious teenager in his arms. "Oh _shell_, can you get him to the van Mikey?"

He nodded, shifting his brother's weight with only a little difficulty. Karina tried to help steady him back up the incline, and then ran ahead of him to get the back of the van opened. While Michelangelo was getting Raphael inside and going for the scanner as Luke had instructed, Karina hesitated out on the path with Leonardo and the stranger.

"Are those sirens?" She asked. "You guys need to go, you need to go _now_."

"What about _you_?" Leonardo asked.

"I'll stay, I'll stay with him! EMS has to be closing in, they should be able to find us more easily up here. I'm serious Leonardo - GO!"

* * *

"It was _what_?" Luke's voice seemed to carry much louder over the cell phone than usual. "Mikey, you need to go ahead and give him another shot of the adrenal _right_ now."

"I thought you told us_ never _to do that!"

"I _remember_ what I told you, but don't question me. Just _do_ it!"


	55. Peace

"Are you _sure _about this Doc?"

"The old adage doesn't lie Donnie - heat definitely rises. I'm telling you, he's better off upstairs." Luke assured him a third time.

"I hear you, it's just..."

"You'd rather have him where _you_ can see him."

"Well, of course."

"His core temperature is in a lot better shape now Donnie, he's_ out _of true danger."

"I know, but he'll _still _have to deal with issues related to the adrenal overload."

"That couldn't be _helped_ Donatello, he was bottoming out too fast."

"No, I completely agreed with your call on that - the risk of death _versus_ the probable side effects from the adrenal made it a no-brainer. I just want him to be as comfortable as he can be."

"It _won't_ be a pleasant night, but it will work its' way out of him. In the meantime, try not to worry too much. You should be getting some rest of your own."

"Fat chance of _that_."

Luke was about to say something else, when his phone suddenly vibrated. He glanced down, and motioned to Donatello. "It's Katherine - hang on a second here."

He flipped the facing open quickly. "Kat, what's happening?"

"They finally let me _in _to see Kari, she's alright. Dealing with some hypothermia of her own, and a pretty bad gash in her hand. They're going to keep her, and I was thinking I'd just stick around too. How's Raph?'

"Better - we'll keep him on warming fluids awhile longer, let him try to sleep off the excess adrenal. He's gonna be fine Kat. Have you heard anything on that kid?"

"Some run away apparently - Karina says he never got a good look at Raph, and he was already mostly out of it by the time the others got there. Doctors think he'll be fine too. He was _lucky_ they were there, both of them."

"I second that. Well, keep in touch with me Kat. I'm going to stick around down _here_, and keep an eye on the homefront."

"Let me know if anything changes with _you_, okay? I love you Luke." She finished.

"I love you too."

* * *

Leonardo and Michelangelo had been sitting together in Raphael's room for awhile, neither finding very much to say at first. The turtle hadn't had a _lucid_ moment since getting home, but at least he was quiet for now. The brothers weren't sure they really wanted to _know_ what he'd been hallucinating.

"This isn't a promising start to the year." Michelangelo finally murmured aloud, and Leonardo sighed quietly.

"It could have been worse Mikey - it _has_ been worse. He'll be alright." Leonardo said confidently.

"It's strange how things tend to work out for us so many times, isn't it?" Mike said. "Some of our best friends, have come out of our _worst_ disasters. It's hard to even imagine not having Luke, or Jenna, or Kat..."

"Or_ Karina_." Leonardo added. "The effect that woman has had on him in a few weeks time...it's mind-blowing. I think this whole process would have been a lot more difficult without her."

Mike didn't say anything else right away, but his body language clearly read that something deeper was bothering him.

"What's wrong Mikey?"

"I'm just thinking."

"That's a dangerous habit." Leonardo said, only trying to make him smile.

Blue eyes only regarded him with seriousness. "For _real _Fearless. Do you think...that _everything_ happens, the way that it was supposed to? We talk about how often things work out on our end...but that's not always the case. I saw something on the news today, about this Mom who sold her little girl for_ sex_, and the kid ended up being _murdered_. Where's the_ design _in that Leo?"

The blue-banded turtle thought about his words for a moment. "We don't live in a perfect world Mike, so terrible things are _bound_ to happen. Not because they were all _supposed_ to...but because it's royally messed up. We have this thing called 'free will', that gives us the ability to make our own choices, act on our own decisions. Obviously, some people choose the wrong ones.

But that doesn't take _away _from the fact that there_ is _a design, a deeper purpose than just the world that we can see with our naked eye. There is a _real _sense of right and wrong in the universe. It's understandable that the evil choices some choose to make can push us to doubt, force us to ask...if there really is some guiding Force in our world, how can there be such prevalent darkness?"

"What's the answer to that Leo?"

"No amount of existing darkness can ever shut out the light Mike. Whether you're talking about a giant flashing neon sign, or just a single flame. The darkness can never hide it. It's power is temporary, fleeting. The Light will _always _overcome in the end."

* * *

Leonardo had been sitting alone with Raphael for about an hour after Mike left, growing weary of his brother's obvious turmoil. Luke had finally taken the IV completely out, because the turtle was having such a hard time keeping it in. The doctor left Leonardo to his own vigil, going back to wait downstairs himself.

Almost on a whim, Leonardo caught ahold of one of Raphael's arms, as he was thrashing somewhat incoherently again.

"_Enman_. Hon'in kamei enman." He repeated the words twice as he just barely held his brother's shoulder down, surprised when Raphael's breath deepened, and the crease in his forehead slowly relaxed.

* * *

_The mere existence of __nothing__ was pleasant enough, a welcome __change from the images that had been haunting him for an untold passage of time. Time, it meant nothing here - they could have been torturing him for five minutes, or five days. He couldn't have truly known the difference._

_In the middle of the inky blackness, he was aware of what felt vaguely like a wind, and then something was physically lifting, drawing, raising him up. The powerful sensation unnerved him at first, but the calm sense of the atmosphere didn't allow for real fear._

_In the blink of an eye, colors and shapes came into focus again, and the turtle found himself inside of a familiar setting. Every sense seem heightened, exactly as before, the last time he'd been here. Raphael immediately started walking through the wood, this time with no particular destination in mind._

There's some reason I'm here_, his lucid mind managed a thought. _I was here before - what's it all supposed to mean?

_The turtle carried on silently, wandering through an overgrown thicket that brushed lightly over his legs as he walked. His mind's initial inclination was to continue trying to search out the matter and meaning of this place, to find some real purpose in being here. But even as questions rose, he felt a stronger force within his spirit trying to push them down, very gentle hands attempting to guide him where they wanted him to go._

_Almost before he realized where he was walking, Raphael saw the light glint off the edge off water in the distance. The turtle literally felt like he could walk forever here, but something was drawing him to relax, to release his urge to wander._

_Raphael settled down in the soft grass, and stared for a moment up at the blue expanse above him, his own breath sounding suddenly loud to his ears. The same lifting sensation came like before, buoyed his spirit, as if preparing him for the voice that would follow it._

**My son.**

_Raphael had seen no one, but the voice was unmistakable - definitely the one he'd heard the last time he was here._

Who are you?

**In your heart, you already know the answer to that.**

Is this a real place? Is it supposed to mean something to me?

**Your surroundings are irrelevant.**

Then why am I _here_? Why are _you_ here? Are you even real?

**You ask too many questions, and they are not the right ones.**

What I am _supposed _to ask you?

**Where have you **_**been **_**Raphael?**

I don't know! Don't you think I've been_ trying _to figure this out?

**I've been waiting for you to come back.**

I don't even know how I got here to _start _with!

**Fear and frustration, turmoil and strife have distracted you. Now you**_** are **_**here, and you must not allow questions to cloud your heart.**

What do you want from me?

**Wait, and be at peace. I will **_**help**_** you find your way back.**

_Raphael's heart could have leaped into his throat at that very instant. _You can?

**I **_**will**_**, but you have to trust me.**

I...I _do_ trust you...father.


	56. Found

*** Yes, it's the chapter you've been waiting for, that I promised would come before the end. But there's just one**_** tiny **_**little problem...**

* * *

Raphael opened his eyes to complete darkness. The weight of the blankets on top of him felt crushing, almost unbearable. He sat up with an immense yawn, startled out of his mind by the stab of pain that coursed through his temple along with the swift motion.

_What the shell?_

It was probably still early yet. He reached over and felt around on the bedside table for either his watch or cell-phone, curiously finding neither. Now confused, he threw both legs over the side of the bed, surprised by how cold the room felt.

_Must have had a __cold__ front or something. It's too early in the season for it to be this cold down here._

He considered just getting back under the covers completely, but the pain he was experiencing was slightly disconcerting. The turtle got to his feet, _now_ surprised by how shaky his legs felt beneath him.

_Dang it, what's __wrong__ with me? I'd better go find Donnie at any rate._

Raphael slowly made his way across the room, and out into the hall. He was encouraged to already see light coming from downstairs, conveniently from the direction of his brother's Lab. The turtle made his way carefully down the steps, absent-mindedly rubbing the source of his headache, and knocked lightly at the Lab's door.

"C'mon in." He heard Donatello call.

His purple-banded brother was typing something over by one of the monitors, and didn't glance over right away.

"Is that you Doc? Give me just a minute to save this, I'm almost finished with it."

"No genius, it's me." Raphael replied. "Have you got something I could take for pain? I feel like my _head_ is about to explode."

Donatello whirled around, clearly startled to see him. "_Raph_! You're up. I didn't expect to..." He trailed off slowly, as if something had suddenly dawned on him. "_What_ did you call me?"

"Genius?" The turtle repeated, as if it were the oddest thing Donatello could possibly have asked him. "I've only called you that since you were_ ten _Donnie."

He detected a slight tremor in his brother's frame, as Donatello got to his feet.

"Do you remember _why_?" Donnie continued.

Raphael laughed. "As if you'd let me _forget_?" Then he caught his first glimpse of his brother's knee. "Donnie, what'd you _do_? Why are you wearin' that thing?"

"Um...Raph, will you sit down for a minute?"

"Why are you looking at me like that? What's wrong Donnie?"

"Will you just do it?"

With a slight roll of his amber eyes, Raphael sat down in one of the desk chairs. "It's just a headache Donnie, you don't have to treat me like I'm _dyin' _here or something."

"No, I know that Raph. I need to ask you a couple of things, and I want you to _cooperate_ with me, even if it sounds weird to you."

"You're_ already _sounding weird to me."

"Raphael, _humor _me." His brother said with such sudden authority, that the red-banded turtle sat up slightly out of his slouched position. "How old were you when I got you the Fender?"

"Donnie--"

"This will go a lot faster if you just answer the questions."

"Sixteen." He replied, already sounding bored.

"There was a certain movie that scared you to death when we were kids..."

"You _swore_ you'd never mention that again!"

Donatello repressed an excited smile, and then got more serious. "What about Hillsboro Raph?"

"What _about_ it?" He asked sharply.

"Do you remember what the two of us found at the County Recorder's?"

"A fat load of _nothing_ Donnie. _Heff_ was the one who uncovered that deed, remember? That pretty much turned into one of the _best _night of our lives, if you recall." He finished sarcastically.

"What about Stolle, Raph? Do you remember him?"

"Stolle." The turtle repeated, and then nodded after a second. "One of Vale's guys. Dude on the computer? Why would you ask me about _him_? What's _with_ all of these questions Don?"

"Just _one_ more Raph." Donatello said evenly. "What month is it?"

Raphael squinted at him curiously, as if he'd lost his mind completely. "It's _November_."

An irritated Luke suddenly burst into the Lab, and shook his head firmly at Raphael. "I honestly _can't _leave you alone for ten minutes. It must be like some law of nature that you have to--"

"_Doc_." Donatello cut him off mid-rant. "Raph is _here_."

The man gave Donatello the same type of look that his older brother had only just _finished_ giving him.

"I can see that Donnie."

_"No _Doc, he's _here_." The turtle emphasized more strongly than the first time, lightly tapping his own temple to illustrate what he meant.

"Donnie, what are you _talking _about?" Raphael demanded.

"Go get my brothers, will you?" Donnie asked Luke, without bothering to answer Raphael for the moment.

The red-banded turtle was getting more aggravated with him by the second. "Did you take _crazy_ pills for breakfast?"

"No Raph, and please don't get up. I need you to stay calm, alright?"

"_Calm_? If you want me to sit here, you'd _better_ start explaining what's going on with you!"

"I _will_ Raph, I just want to wait for Leo and Mikey to get here first."

Raphael crossed his arms with a huff, and exhaled sharply while he waited for them. The looks on his _brother's _faces when they dashed into the room was enough to bewilder him even more.

"Donnie, are you _sure_?" Leonardo asked hopefully.

"It certainly sounds like it." Donatello answered.

Michelangelo bounded across the room to Raphael in an instant, the turtle's joy spilling over as he embraced him fiercely.

"Hey, _what's_ with the love fest?" He asked, now sounding much more confused than actually angry. "Guys, what's going on? You're _all_ acting weird this morning. Am I _missing_ something here?"

They all looked at each other, none even knowing where to start.

"_Somebody_ talk to me, or I'm gonna pummel all three of you at the same time!" Raphael threatened.

Leonardo nodded at Donatello, who took a deep breath in turn.

"I'm sorry Raph. Things have been a little...well...it would probably be easier to _show _you." Donatello told him, and went to retrieve a small hand-held mirror out of one of the desk drawers. "Things aren't what they seem to be Raphael. It's _not_ November, not anymore."

"Is this 'spose to be some kind of joke? 'Cause it _ain't _funny."

"No Raph, _we_ don't think it's funny either." Leonardo spoke up at once.

"Have a look." Donatello instructed him, raising the mirror to the right angle, so that he would be able to see the remnants of the scar that remained from his crash.

_Stunned_ wasn't a strong enough word to describe how Raphael felt at that moment. "_What_..."

"Raph, you were in an accident." Donatello said quietly. "You crashed on your bike. The day that you think it is...it's already happened."

His breathing quickened, as he glanced around at the others.

"Yeah, it's true Raphael." Leonardo assured him. "It happened weeks ago. It's actually January now."

"But I...what _happened_? Was I in a coma, or _what_?"

Donatello shook his head slowly. "No, you weren't." He hesitated for another long beat, before plunging ahead. "You lost your memory Raph."

"But if I was awake, why can't I remember_ that_?"

"Amnesia's a funny thing. In all likelihood, when your memory returned, the lapse of these last few weeks was lost _itself."_

"I didn't _know_ anybody?" Raphael asked, of no one in particular.

"You didn't even know yourself." Leonardo clarified.

Raphael's breath caught suddenly in his throat, and he swallowed hard as a violent urge to get sick came over him. "I need to...bathroom..."

Leonardo pulled him upright, supporting his trembling brother firmly around the back. As soon as they'd disappeared, Michelangelo's own wide eyed blue gaze landed on Donatello.

"You don't think he remembers these last few weeks at _all?"_

"He didn't seem to recall anything special about Stolle. I don't see that as entirely a bad thing...it's probably stuff he wished he _could_ forget."

"_Donnie_! What about Karina?" His younger brother stated obviously, and suddenly the purple-banded turtle felt rather light-headed _himself._

"Oh _shell_."


	57. Second Thoughts

Katherine held her breath for a long instant, before knocking on the hospital room door.

"I'm up - come in!" She heard Karina call.

Kat pushed the door inward, smiling a little nervously at her younger sister. She was certainly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning, more than ready to get out of the hospital entirely.

"What _took _you so long?" Kari scolded her. "I'm starving. Do you even _know_ what they try to feed people in here?"

"I remember a time when you barely _touched_ breakfast." Katherine said lightly.

"That was _before_ I had someone cooking it for me almost every morning. Mikey broke my bad habit."

"It_ is _the most important meal of the day." Katherine said mock sternly.

"Did you bring it, or did you just come back to torment me? When can I get _out _of here Kat?"

Katherine drew a paper sack out of her shoulder bag, and handed over the contraband to her sister.

"We're just waiting on the doctor to release you Kari. He's making his rounds, and he'll be here before you know it." Katherine told her, lightly brushing hair from Karina's forehead in a protective gesture. "You did _good _sis. You saved that boy's life."

"_Raph's_ the one who got him out." Karina reminded her. "Have you heard anything else this morning? I worried about him all night long."

"I _told_ you he was alright Kari. Donnie's formula raises their core temperature faster than_ any _hospital could."

"I know you said that, but I can't just turn it off Kat. I_ want _to get out of this hospital. Why'd you let 'em _keep_ me anyway?"

"I don't know Kari, I think your_ temperature _might have had something to do with it." Katherine said sarcastically.

"Well it's _fine_ now, and I need to get back underground. I won't be able to relax until I see him with my own eyes. Do you think you could get all 'official' or something, maybe speed this process along a little bit?"

Katherine laughed. "It wouldn't be difficult to put a bug in someone's ear, but..." The woman hesitated, reaching for her sister's hand. "There's something else that I need to tell you_ first_, and I don't know how you're going to take this."

"What is it Kat? You said he was okay. He_ is_, isn't he?"

"_Better_ than okay. When he woke up this morning, he came downstairs to talk to Donnie...and his mind was completely there Kari. I don't know what happened to him last night, but it seems to have jolted him back to himself. As far as they can tell, he has his memory back."

Karina's breakfast was _abruptly_ forgotten. "What? Kat, why didn't you say that _first_? That's fantastic, they _said_ it could just come back, and it _did_! I'm getting out of here, I can't wait for these buffoons another second." The woman exclaimed.

"Kari, hold on. I'm not finished, there's something else you need to know. He seems to have a firm grip on past events, easily recalling things that happened over twenty years ago. But as far as they can tell...he doesn't have any recollection of these last few weeks." Kat said carefully.

"He doesn't remember...?"

"When he came around this morning, he thought it was November. He has no memory of Stolle, except as Vale's computer guru. It's like his mind did a hard re-boot, and whatever happened surrounding the traumatic event, and now the return...it got lost somewhere in the shuffle."

"Then he won't know_ me _either." Karina filled in quietly.

"Karina, he might remember you, he very well _could_. You mean an awful lot to him, and those memories are _still _in there, even if he can't access them right now. I know this is difficult, and it isn't_ fair_. But it isn't the end either, it's not like he _died _or something. I've been pretty antsy to get down there myself, and I was hoping that you'd still come with me."

"Oh Kat, I...I don't know. He's going to have a lot to deal with right now. I think it would be better for me to _wait_, keep my distance."

"How exactly would that make it better Karina?"

"There will be _enough_ confusion involved already, without throwing _me_ into the mix Kat! But _you_ should go, you're practically family after all."

"So are _you_ Kari!"

"Katherine, I don't even exist in his mind, I'm not just going to _waltz_ right in there. What am I supposed to say to him? 'You're falling in love with me, you just don't_ know _it'? No. I think it's better to give him time to adjust a little, and let things settle back down before I even _consider_ walking back into that Den."

"Are you insinuating that it's actually in _question_? Karina, how can you even be _thinking_ about walking away from this? Do you actually believe you can pretend like it never even happened?"

"As far as he knows, it never _did_." Karina said morosely.

"I don't _believe_ that you just said that. You care about him! What's going through your head right now?"

"What I think _or_ feel is irrelevant at this moment, isn't it? No amount of emotions on my part can change the fact that he doesn't remember ever laying eyes on me."

"Karina, I'm _asking_ you not to give up on this so easily. Raphael is _worth_ it. He _deserves_ this, he deserves..." Katherine trailed off, without finishing the statement. "What do you want me to do here Kari?"

"I already told you. You need to be down there, and I'm _not _going with you. He needs space, and I..._I_ need time to think too."

* * *

Katherine finally left her alone, at her own request. The second her sister left the room, Karina's barely controlled exterior completely crumbled. She buried her face in her pillow to the muffle the gasping sobs, her entire frame shaking from the violence of them. For several minutes, it was all she could do - even forming rational thoughts were out of the question at that point.

When tears were momentarily spent, she stayed slumped on the mattress, the numb feeling traveling, extending through every bone in her body.

_You wanted this for him Kari, you wanted him to find himself again_, she reminded herself fiercely._ I can't even picture how awful it would be to walk around like that, not even knowing a single thing about myself. He's so much better off this way, and he won't even have to remember what that psychopath did to him. I just wish..._

She didn't finish the thought, as she rolled over suddenly to face the bedside table. Karina picked up the pendant that had been lying there for hours, lightly tracing a finger over the horns, the way she'd done so many times in the last few days.

_Maybe it was meant to be this way. Maybe I was just supposed to be there, to help him get through all of that stuff._

She shut her eyes with a heavy sigh.

_The truth is, I probably wouldn't know __him__ now either. And there are no guarantees that if we'd met under normal circumstances...that he would have even been remotely interested in me. What with the trauma he went through, he was already so vulnerable. Only God knows what might have happened naturally, if we hadn't slugged through some of that together. And he sure doesn't remember any of it now._

Karina released the necklace, setting it back on the table.

_One thing's absolutely clear - I've got to get a place of my own, and quick. I hope the guys don't hate me forever for this, but really, what I am supposed to __do__?_

She allowed the question to linger in the void, tears threatening to overcome her again.

_The important thing is, he'll be okay. He's whole again, and I couldn't ask for anything more than that. Even if it doesn't include __me__._


	58. Waylaid

***Home with the Author, back in Dayton, Ohio - 6:15 AM Friday Morning.**

* * *

_And the stupid street light is out __again__. I swear that ridiculous thing hasn't worked for more than five minutes at a time since we __moved__ here. Gosh, I love this city._

The Chevy Cavalier was sitting undisturbed in it's normal spot, covered in the debris that usually came from being forced to spend the night under the trees. But once inside with the key in the ignition, nothing happened.

_Alright, shift into neutral...and then __back__ into first gear...I __know__ I was clutching hard enough..._

But two more attempts to start the car were as fruitless as the first.

_Dang it, this __can't__ be happening! First a flat tire on the highway, and now __this__? Why'd it have to happen on a __Friday__? Well...Dad doesn't have to work today, he probably wouldn't care if I used __his__ car. I'm gonna have to go get him now in any event._

But before the front door could be completely unlocked, a voice hissed from around the corner of the house.

"_Author_! Over here!"

The keys were quickly forgotten in the door handle, as a green hand motioned strongly for the woman to join him in the shadows of the house.

_Brother. I knew he'd probably make the trip, but I sure wasn't expecting him __this__ early. I honestly don't have time to deal with this right now - I need to get to work!_

"Raph, can this wait a few hours? I'm kinda in a time crunch, and now I have to find another way to get to work."

Angry amber eyes blazed forth of their own accord.

"You are _evil_." He spat angrily. "How could you do this to me? What'd I ever do to _you_ Sarah?"

"I _understand_ you're upset, but you're jumping the gun a little here Raph. Have faith in me. I've never left you high and dry before, have I? The story isn't even finished yet."

"I _know_ it ain't finished Author, that's why I decided you're _not_ going to work today."

"You wanna run that by me _again_ Raphael?"

"I _said _you're not going to work, not until you're done writing this thing. I'm finished waiting around for you. I think I was perfectly patient while you dragged out my amnesia all those chapters. And_ this _is the thanks I get?"

"Raph, what do you mean _you _decided? Did you _do_ something to my car?"

"Nothing permanent Author. I just wanted to make sure that you wouldn't be going anywhere."

"_What_ did you do?"

"It's not a big deal."

"WHAT did you do to my car?!"

"Chill out Sarah! I just took your battery - see? I didn't _hurt _your precious car."

"_Dagone_ it Raph, you're going to make me _late_! Fridays' are my busiest day! All you're doing is _prolonging_ the amount of time I'll have to stay at work! When I get an _early_ jump on my shopping, I can get it done so much faster than when there's 5000 people in the store later on!"

"Just tell me what your problem is Sarah. I get that you like to use us to _vent _and all. Is that all this really is? Is this story an outlet for your own screwed up relationships?"

"No Raph, it really _isn't. _I don't have those kinds of problems, because I don't _have_ that kind of relationship."

"That explains _everything_. You don't even know what it's_ like _to fall that hard for someone, do you?"

Hazel eyes narrowed in_ return _this time. "I didn't say that Raph! As a matter a fact, I _have _been there!"

"_Obviously_ it didn't work out. You sure you're not taking that out on me?"

"I don't have time for this. There's probably already six or seven orders _waiting_ on my computer at work Raphael!_"_

"Why don't you answer the question Author?"

"Why should I? You don't even really _care_, you're just trying to get under my skin."

"Apparently it's _working_. Do you want your battery back, or don't you?"

"I don't need it - I'm sure my Dad will let me use his car."

"_Tinkerbell_? You don't really wanna drive that thing, do you?"

"How did _you_ know he calls her that?"

"I saw the floor mats. What I really wanna know is, what's a_ grown _man doing with that cartoon character?"

"He bought the car off of a girl at my Mom's work."

"And he didn't want to change them out?"

"He hasn't gotten around to it. Anyway. I need to get going Raph."

"You're really not going to tell me about this guy?"

"I don't see what difference it makes."

"You _owe_ me this much Author. I came all this way - the least you can do is tell me about the guy you loved and _lost_."

"It's an embarrassing, _pitiful _story, but you're not going to let this go, are you?"

The turtle crossed his arms, and shook his head firmly.

"We weren't even a couple Raph, it never got that far. The truth is...when I was younger, I used to pride myself on how 'level-headed' I was. I was very wary about the 'L' word, and didn't believe that teenagers actually could fall in love as often as they think they did. That was until it happened to _me_. There was this boy that I went to church with...the two of us were pretty much best friends. We were involved in so many of the same things. We were teammates on a Bible Quiz team, and we even coached a Junior version of the team together. Then there was Youth Group...and both our families were home schooled, so we ended up meeting at church in the middle of the week for Gym and Spanish classes too.

We spent almost the entirety of every Sunday afternoon together. I have this very vivid memory of the two of us praying in the Sanctuary on one Sunday...We weren't even standing by each other, we were both pacing across the room in our own directions. But I started singing, and he would join me and it was...it was powerful.

I'd had crushes on different boys growing up of course, but Thomas was different. We were _connected_ in a way that I'd never experienced with anyone else. I was so painfully shy growing up, that I hardly had any real relationships at all. But I was comfortable with Thomas. I was _myself_ with him, in a way that I didn't know _how_ to be with other people.

He was the first person to ever point out to me the fact that I had natural harmony. It was the most amazing thing - the instant he put a _name_ to it, it clicked in my mind. It was like opening up a floodgate, as I realized that I could_ trust _that little voice in the back of my head, picking out the notes for me.

I knew that I had strong feelings for him, and I had reason to believe that he felt something too. Being the introverted fifteen year old that I was, I did the only reasonable thing. I turned to his younger brother and sister. They _both _informed me of how often he talked about me at home...and there were other small clues too. Like the time we went roller skating, and he requested my favorite song from the DJ, without me saying a single word about it.

So by the time our 16th birthdays were coming up (both in May ironically), I honestly felt like something was on the verge of happening. He had told someone else close to me that he was interested in courting me, which is like a Biblical form of dating someone, only with the express intention that you're going to_ marry _that person.

But then I happened to walk in my sisters in the family room at the wrong time, talking about how my younger sister had been _kissing_ him. She was only 12 years old Raph! But she was so outgoing, so confident that he totally went for her! I can't describe completely how I felt in that instant. I didn't even realize how _strong _my feelings had become until right then.

I remember collapsing on my bedroom floor, sobbing my eyes out. It had been going on for weeks, and I'd had no idea. I thought that I _knew_ him so well, that we were so much alike. I was wrong. On the one hand, it wasn't fair to really blame him. No words of a relationship had ever passed between the two of us, much less an actual commitment. But that didn't stop the pain, the extent of which...I can only compare it to grieving. As strange as it might sound, it really felt like he had died.

I didn't want to get anyone in trouble, so I kept my mouth shut, and didn't tell my parents about any of it. To suffer like that, _and_ be forced to hide it...it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I loved him. I loved him, and it took him making out with my sister to make me realize it."

"Did you ever tell him that Sarah?"

"No Raph. I was so shy, so insecure...I couldn't do it. He avoided me for days after I found out...until I wrote him an e-mail, basically just asking for our_ friendship _back. Of course it could never be the same, and we never even addressed what happened."

"It _sounds_ like you never got over him."

"I _did_ get over him Raph, I'm_ not _still walking around longing for him. But I've had to live with regret for years, because I was such a stinking coward, who could never tell him how I really felt, or how badly he hurt me. You know what the worst part is? He was _nothing _to my sister, just a plaything for her to tell her friends about, the older boy that she kissed.

I hate how things ended up, but at the same time, I'm grateful for it. He changed my standards. What I had with him was so incredible, such a sense of a personal _and_ spiritual connection, that it left an impact...and now nothing less will satisfy me. The thought of anything else reminds me of canned frosting."

"_What_?"

"I know it's a weird analogy - just go with me Raph. I think most of us grew up on canned frosting. It's cheap, readily available...sure a heck of a lot easier than making your own. Then one day, some girls from the Cooking School attached to my store brought over some leftover desserts from a class, and there was this chocolate cake among them. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever eaten, and I was _determined_ to reproduce it.

So I went home with the recipe, tried it out, and was thrilled to find I could replicate the same tasting frosting. But now I couldn't go back to the canned junk, with such inferior flavor ever again. I adapted the recipe to make a vanilla version too, and now it's my standby. It takes some effort, but the results are worth it to me. Going _back_ to canned frosting would be settling for a cheap imitation.

That's how I look at love now too. I would rather be _alone_, than have something shallow or superficial. To me, it isn't worth it to waste time on anything male, _just _because it breathes. If I can't have it the_ right _way, with the _right_ guy, then I don't want it. I refuse to settle."

"What if you had another chance with Thomas?"

"If he was the last man on the face of the earth, I wouldn't go that route again. The _only_ thing I wish I had another chance at, is the opportunity to be honest and open with him. That's the only real regret that I have left Raph, that I can _never_ tell him how he made me feel."

"Why not? So _what_ if it was a decade ago?"

"He's _married_ now Raphael, and we're not friends, haven't been for a long time. I'm not about to dredge this stuff up."

"Are you still angry with him?"

"No, I told you, I didn't feel like I had a _right _to be mad at him to start with. I'm angry with _myself_, for how stupid I was not to see what was right in front of me...and for not having the guts to simply be _real_. That's one mistake that I'll _never_ repeat. I don't care if I embarrass myself - it's worth it to keep from going through this.

So there you have it. My _one _true love story, of the boy who chose my 12 year old sister over me. Are you happy now?"

"Why would that make me happy?"

"Raph, can I just have my battery please? I need to leave."

"Sarah, are you _okay_?"

"I'm_ fine_. I told you it was a pitiful story, about a pitiful girl. And it's a far cry from the heart-wrenching things other people have been through."

"I'm sorry he hurt you."

"I'm _over_ him Raph."

"That doesn't mean you're _okay_. You haven't written off all hope, have you?"

"_Not _at all. I'm just not about to invest my feelings again, not without a very good reason. It isn't worth it to me."

The red-banded turtle sat up against the side of the house with a bit of a stretch. "Author, there _is_ somebody out there who will appreciate you."

"I believe that Raph. But in the meantime...I can _handle_ being alone."


	59. Time

Leonardo sat up with a start when he heard the door opening, breathing a little easier when he saw Raphael.

"I can't believe you just took off that way." Leonardo complained. "You have_ no _idea what we've been through these last few weeks."

"You _know_ I had to go Leo - and it ain't like I didn't communicate with ya."

"You didn't _scare_ her, did you?"

"'Course not Fearless. Look I _wanna_ talk about everything, but I'm beat. You guys need to get all your stories straight, because I expect a full recap of the last month and a half."

Jenna came down the hallway, as the red-banded turtle was heading up the steps.

"About_ time _you got back. When are you guys going to let _me_ come on one of these little trips to Ohio?" She demanded of him mock sternly.

"Maybe _someday_ Jen - I'm sure we'll have good reason to have to head that direction again." He answered with a grin.

"And you always find some excuse to leave me behind. Why _is_ that exactly?" Jenna challenged.

"Jenna, you _know_ why." Donatello called from behind her. "Get a handle on your _temper_, and maybe you'll get to meet her sometime too."

"I'm gonna get some shut eye guys, and then I want some answers. Like why in the _heck_ Tiger won't come near me."

"Raph, you haven't been nice to her." Donatello said quietly. "You shoved her off every time she came around."

"I didn't _hurt _her, did I?"

"No bro, you just didn't want anything to do with her." Leonardo spoke up.

"Why'd you guys let me _do _that?"

"Raph, we_ tried _to stop you." Jenna protested. "You're not exactly the easiest person to reason with when you've already made up your mind about something."

The turtle sighed and shook his head slowly. "_None_ of you can imagine how weird this feels. I need to pick your brains in the worst way, but I'm not really thinking very straight _myself_ right now. I'll see ya'll in a few hours."

When he disappeared from sight, Jenna and Donatello joined Leonardo in the living area.

"Have you talked to Karina Jen?" Leonardo asked the woman quietly.

"She hasn't answered her phone." Jenna replied. "Kat_ said _she didn't take it well, so I wanted to try and give her some time. But if she won't call me back, you can bet I'll be tracking her down myself."

Donatello dropped his chin in his hand a little dejectedly. "I thought she'd come back, I _really_ did. Watching them together, day in, day out...I thought that both of them were falling right before my eyes."

"You have to give her a little break Donnie, she's got to be _so _disappointed. They got extremely close, _very_ quickly...and in the blink of an eye, it's completely gone. Of course she's freaked out. Karina's got all these feelings built up, for someone who doesn't even know she exists."

"What are we supposed to_ tell _Raph about her Leo?" Donatello wondered aloud. "He _wants_ to know what happened. That woman played a big part in these last few weeks! How are supposed to sufficiently explain Karina to him, if she won't come back here herself?

"I don't know Don," Leonardo answered, sounding rather tired all of the sudden. He glanced down at his cell-phone on the table. "I guess we need to pull a decision out of her. When did you try her last Jenna?"

"Only about an hour ago Leo, but actually, she _could_ just be avoiding _me_. I warned her about this."

"You warned her about_ what _Jen?" Donatello asked her.

"Hurting Raphael. I told her not to _dare_ taking the step, if she wasn't going to walk the mile."

"You_ really _said that to her?" Leonardo said.

"I hope you don't expect me to apologize for it. I wanted to make sure that she took it seriously, that she wasn't just acting on some stupid whim. She's probably _afraid_ to talk to me right now."

Leonardo flipped open his phone. "It can't hurt for me to_ try _I guess. Hold on a second."

He dialed the numbers deftly, and waited while the phone rang on the other end. By the fourth tone, he was pretty certain she wasn't going to pick up for _him_ either, but then the woman actually _answered_.

"Hello."

"Karina? We've _gotta_ talk about this. I know you're upset, but we're kinda lost with how to proceed here too. Raphael wants us to fill him in on everything that happened. It would be a lot easier to tell him about you, if you were actually here!"

"Leo, you _can't_, you can't tell him about me. Don't you think he has enough to deal with right this second?"

"So _what_, you're going to disappear into the night, and you expect us to never even mention the fact that you were here? You're out of your mind if you think we'll go along with that! He's our brother Karina!"

"I'm not asking you to lie to him Leonardo, I'm asking for more time. I don't _want_ to disappear, but I don't feel like I can just show up out of the blue either!"

"But you were _here_ the whole time Karina, when he was so far gone that it didn't seem like _anyone_ could get through to him! And now you want to keep your distance?"

"You think this is what I _want_ Leo? That I wouldn't rather race back there, and find everything is the same between us as it was before? But it _won't _be, it can't! I'm asking you to give him a chance to get some _semblance_ of order back in his life. Don't tell him about me, not yet. Please?"

"I can't believe you're putting us in this position Karina. This isn't fair to him,_ or _us!"

"I'm _sorry_, I really am Leonardo. I don't want to hurt him, or anybody else. But I'm _not_ ready to run back there, and throw myself at the feet of a stranger."

"He isn't going to be a stranger to _you_ Karina. I'm telling you Raph has been _Raph_ all along! A brutally wounded, confused, more irritable version of himself sure...but his personality has been right underneath it the whole time. Was it real for _you_ Karina? Because _all_ of us believed that you sincerely cared about him. Is that a fact, or isn't it?"

"I still _do_ care about him Leo. _Why_ do you think I'm having such conniptions that he doesn't remember me?"

"Well then what are you going to _do_ about it Karina?"

"I haven't decided, I'm still trying to figure it out. I'm begging you for some time...I honestly feel like _he_ needs it too Leonardo. Don't tell him about me, not yet."

* * *

Raphael had only been asleep for about an hour, when he jolted suddenly awake again. He sat up entirely too quickly, and ending up gripping his forehead again.

_Shell, this is gonna get old really fast._

He collapsed back against the mattress, sighing wearily. Then he rolled onto his side, intentionally relaxing his breathing so he could fall back asleep.

****

_The quiet snow surrounded him on ever side, lightly brushing against his face, and landing on his shell. Despite the fact that it had to be freezing, he wasn't the least bit uncomfortable. Even the wind that caused the flakes to swirl faster around him didn't bother him in the least. He breathed in the breeze, as if it were life-giving oxygen. A smile leaped to his face as he took in his surroundings, what seemed very much like Central Park._

_As he turned in a tight circle, he noticed a shadowy form on the outskirts of the trees, and instantly stood up a bit straighter, muscles tensing._

_Raphael took a curious step in the direction of the figure, which seemed reluctant to move itself. Then he took three more, completely unable to tear himself away from the shadow, as if some magnetic force was pulling him in that direction._

_She was tensing too - the shape of the figure completely gave away the fact that it was a woman. He squinted to make her out in the darkness, and thought for an instant that he was seeing __Katherine__. But no, on closer inspection it was clearly not the woman, but someone who slightly resembled her. Light green eyes now seemed as riveted on him, as he'd been on her._

_Tentatively she raised a hand toward him, not even flinching away when he brushed her palm curiously. Her bronze hair rustled in the wind, whipping around to frame her face so that it was nearly hidden from his sight completely. When her fingertips rested on his shoulder, it produced the oddest sensation of electricity, which started in his arm, and traveled quickly through the rest of his body._

_Her green eyes were imploring, as if they desired something of him which he couldn't begin to understand. Both of her arms were suddenly around his neck, as she leaned close to his plastron. He was consumed by her scent, something that felt so familiar, though he couldn't imagine why it did. As she clung to him an instant longer, he realized that he'd momentarily forgotten to breathe._

****

Raphael stirred awake again, the remnant of the dream lingering on the back of his mind.

_Whoa, that was...weird._

He felt something soft brush against his arm, and looked down in surprise at the mattress to see Tiger curled up next to him. He grinned openly, as he ran a hand over the cat's back.

"_Hey_ Mighty Hunter. So you're not mad at me anymore, huh? That's a relief."

The feline purred contentedly, as he scratched the animal's ears.

"Yeah...I missed you too."


	60. Recap

By the time Raphael was returning downstairs with the striped cat perched on his shoulder, Luke and Marcus had arrived back underground as well.

"It appears that Tiger learned how to open doors." Raphael quipped as he entered the room.

"Nah, she was laying all pitiful outside _yours_. I figured you wouldn't mind if I let her in." Michelangelo answered. "Are you hungry bro? The Docs brought pizza."

"When could I ever say no to _that_?"

When Raphael went to load up in the kitchen, Tiger immediately trailed after him, following his every footstep through the Den.

"Man, she's not going to let you out of her _sight_ now, is she?" Marcus laughed, as the turtle returned to the recliner.

"It's sure better than having her _run _from me. So, are you guys gonna explain everything here, or what?"

"As much as we're able to Raph. Things are a lot more _complicated_ than they seem to be." Leonardo replied carefully. "Eat first, and then we'll get into it."

Something in his older brother's tone sent a shiver down Raphael's spine, and spurred the turtle on to eat_ faster_. He took a moment to gaze around the circle at his brothers and the two doctors, sensing the nerves radiating off of them like a powerful current.

"This was pretty bad, huh?" Raphael murmured. "Somebody start at the beginning. What happened to my bike anyway? Was it totaled?"

"We don't know Raph." Donatello spoke first. "We never found it."

"How'd you find _me_ then? I can't imagine making my _own_ way back here with an empty head and all."

"We _didn't_ find you, not right away." Donnie said. "Raph, you need to know that what happened to you...it wasn't really an _accident_. Someone _forced_ you to crash."

Even in the midst of the revelation, Raphael noticed Donnie's pointed glance at Luke, and the man swallowed.

"You were chasing someone Raphael, in addition to being pursued yourself. It all started at my place in Chelsea, and climaxed out by the Hudson River." Luke told him, and then proceeded to explain how the evening had started, including describing the home invasion, and his subsequent status as "bait".

"When you escaped, the Bounty Hunters took off with_ me_. Only you hadn't actually run at all, you were only in the garage, finding something to break out of the manacles with. When they kidnapped me, you chased them down." The man paused for a moment, as the memory of the evening swept over him again. "You were the one they wanted all along, so they let you follow, intentionally leading you somewhere out of the way. That was when the sedan forced you to wipe out."

Luke stopped again, focusing hard on the floor. "I'll _never_ be able to forget that feeling. They let me have a look at you, they wanted to make sure that you survived. But then, they wouldn't even let me _do_ anything. A couple of the goons took me back to Chelsea, locked me in the pantry, while the others got away with you."

Raphael's fists were clenched so tightly, they were actually turning white. "They'd been _watching_ you for weeks? That guy _Stolle _hired them?"

Luke nodded, and cast Marcus a glance.

"Raph, you told me that the first memory you had, was of waking up with the Bounty Hunters." Marcus told him. "That was when you realized that your memory was _gone_."

"Did you guys track me down?" Raphael asked his brothers.

"We tried to, but...things got a little out of hand. When Stolle showed up to _collect _you, he had some kind of device, that must have been able to measure frequency signals. He located your transmitter, and cut it directly out of your arm." Donatello said evenly.

Raphael's amber eyes widened just a little. "_Then_ what?"

"He brought you back to New York. We had no way of following you now, but we did have the Bounty Hunters' coordinates, so that was the first place we headed, along with Heff and Luke." Donatello replied.

"Their head guy Blackford, he had the house to himself when we got in, so we took the opportunity to get some answers out of him. Or _Heff_ did rather. He never _did _explain how he got that man to talk about Stolle. Even then, the scum didn't have a location, just a name." Leonardo added.`

"What did that idiot _want_ with me?" Raphael demanded.

He saw the flash of guilt in Donatello's eyes, concern leaping up further in his own mind at that moment. "Donnie? What did he want?"

"_Me_." He answered a little brokenly. "I was all he _ever_ wanted. His tried to use you, specifically to get to me."

"That doesn't make it _your _fault genius." Raphael said gruffly. "But what'd he end up doing with me?"

The faces surrounding him were masks of unknowing.

"Raph, you never...you didn't want to talk about it with us." Leonardo answered. "I guess it was _really_ bad. Bad enough that..." The blue banded turtle didn't finish the sentence.

"How did you find me?"

"Kat and Greg of course. When Heff figured out that Stolle was using a fake identity, it sort of felt like we'd hit a dead end. But Kat went by the lock-up, and managed to manipulate his _real_ name out of one of _Vale's_ guys. Then we actually had some records to go on." Donatello explained. "It took me a couple of days to get inside of his network, before we were able to get to _you_."

"How'd _that_ all work out?"

"It sure _ended_ with a bang." Mike cracked, effectively breaking the seriousness of the atmosphere for an instant. But Raphael wasn't letting anyone off the hook that easily.

"Now c'mon, tell me for real."

"In the process of being _shot_ at, one of the goons ruptured a gas-line." Donnie said. "We had to high-tail it out of there. It didn't end very well for Stolle, but not before he made _my_ life a little more difficult."

Raphael glanced at his younger brother's knee. "Is this _his_ doing?"

"It's not really important right now."

Raph gave him an annoyed look. "Did he hurt you?"

"Yeah," Donatello admitted. "And if Leonardo hadn't doubled back, it probably would have been a lot worse."

Raphael held out both hands in sheer irritation. "Worse like _how_?"

"The room we were in turned into a _fireball,_ not long after we got out." Leonardo told him.

"How did you guys get separated to start with?"

"Leo and Mikey were a little tied up with getting _you_ and someone else out of the building."

"_Who_ else?" The baffled turtle asked. "Someone else was there with you? Was it one of our own, or--"

"It was someone who'd been in the wrong place, at the wrong time Raphael." Leonardo cut him off. "A stranger that Stolle ended up catching and torturing, despite the fact that he didn't know a single thing about us."

"Are you saying we have _another_ member in the club? Why didn't you mention him_ before_?"

"It just hadn't come up." Leonardo shrugged. "There's a lot of stuff to get through Raph. Be patient with us, and we'll try to piece together as much as we can of this puzzle."

The red-banded turtle rubbed his pounding forehead wearily. "It feels like I've been out of it for a _year_. How much does this guy _know_?"

"Enough." Marcus said dryly. "But he's keeping his mouth shut, or has so far. He's NYPD."

"He's a_ cop_? Are you kidding me?" Raphael shook his head again. "I don't even have the energy to be irritated right this second. Just tell me what happened in the process of getting out. Did he hurt you bad Donnie? What's the deal here with your knee?"

"Stolle did his homework Raph, but thanks to Leo's good arm, I'm here. Isn't that the most important thing?"

"True enough, but you still haven't_ told _me anything. How long do you have to be off of it? Are you in much pain?"

"Just a couple more weeks Raph. I've been doing okay. I had some surgery for further repair, right after Thanksgiving...and it turned out extremely well."

Raphael's hands were gripping the side of the chair even harder now, as a surge of protective anger rushed through him. "If I could get my _hands_ on that man..."

"He's gone Raph." Luke spoke up. "Kat said that the Crime Lab identified his remains from that building."

The turtle exhaled sharply. "What next? How did everything work out with _us_, me not knowing anything?"

"Well...you weren't conscious when we found you Raphael." Donnie answered. "You were deep in shock, very close to death. Stolle treated you _very_ badly. We didn't even _know_ about the amnesia, not until you came around later."

"_That_ must have been interesting." Raphael smirked.

The room then got so quiet, that you literally could have heard a pin drop.

"What'd I say?" The red-banded turtle asked.

"It was um...it was difficult Raph." Leonardo allowed. "Stolle really did a number on you physically, and he fed you a complete line of bull too."

Raphael sat up further in the chair. "Don't _make_ me drag this stuff out of you. What happened?"

When no one answered or even moved, he brought his fist hard to bear on the side table. "_Dagone it _guys, don't play me this way!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Marcus tremble however slightly, shrinking back against the couch.

Raphael cocked his head at the man, brow furrowing. "Why are you scared of me Marc?" He asked softly, not entirely certain that he _wanted_ to hear the answer.

"Tiger wasn't the _only_ one that you weren't very nice to." Luke said after a long moment. "There were several misunderstandings in the beginning."

"Did I hurt somebody?" The turtle pressed. "I _know_ you don't wanna tell me, but I have to know what actually happened."

"Raph, with the head injury, the amnesia, the trauma of what _Stolle_ did to you...You _can't_ be blamed for how you reacted when you first came around. You had no idea where you were, or who anybody was. You just wanted to escape while you had the chance." Donatello said gently.

"So I _did_ hurt someone. Was it you Marc? Anyone else?"

Luke raised his head a little tentatively.

"Did I come after _you_ Doc?"

"Of the individuals in this room, I'm the_ only_ one you never touched."

Raphael closed his eyes for an instant, sighing deeply. "I won't sit here and beg all night. So tell me everything, or I swear I'm walking out that door."


	61. Talk

Jenna was_ forcing _herself to be more gentle than she actually felt like being. She'd been sitting on the edge of the bed in Luke and Kat's guest room for about twenty minutes, waiting for Karina to at least acknowledge her.

"Why are you fighting this?" Jenna finally asked her. "You _know_ you're in love with him."

"No," Karina murmured. "It doesn't happen that fast. It's not possible..."

"You don't think so Karina? I would _venture_ to say that you're wrong. I would guess that you're even_ frightened _of how fast those feelings developed for him."

"Nothing that I feel even _matters _at this point." Karina said dully. "This_ conversation _seems worthless in itself."

"Kari, you're acting like this was his _decision_, like he_ chose _to forget you or something."

"If he was_ meant _to remember me, he would have, right? You're the one who brought up the 'design' after all. It's apparent that I was never supposed to be in this for the long term."

"It sounds like you're trying to give yourself an _out_ Karina."

"I already _have_ one Jenna, whether I really want it or not. I know that it must feel like I'm _abandoning_ everyone, but can you try to see this from my perspective? I don't_ know _what the right thing to do is. I don't know that I can_ bear _the thought of even being in his presence, without him knowing me. As much as I could try and pretend like it doesn't bother me, it still does.

I _wanted_ him to get his memory back. If _this _is the trade off, getting his life back, in exchange for letting me go, I don't think it's such a bad thing."

"Why do you think he can't have _both_ Karina?"

The woman didn't say anything for a long moment, and then looked away from Jenna. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Jenna's own gaze turned to the luggage across the room, which she'd never entirely unpacked. "Are you leaving Karina? Is that your plan?" Jenna asked her point blank.

"I haven't decided."

"Woman, you are _driving_ me up the wall!" Jenna said fiercely. "Running _can't _be your answer for everything!"

"You don't understand, and I don't expect you to."

"But I _do_ understand Karina, better than you know! I've had plenty of opportunities to run in my life, and honestly, until I met Victoria, that was _exactly _what I was doing. I'd given up on the idea of caring about anyone else, or letting them love me back. Do you know how easy it would have been to give up on Donnie, when it seemed like he was never going to accept me as his own? There were so many times when I _could _have walked away, and didn't."

"Why?" Karina asked unexpectedly, and the raven haired girl fixed her with a light blue stare.

"There are opportunities, _chances _that we come across once in a lifetime, that have the ability to influence us forever. Donatello was mine, and I couldn't give up on it. Raphael is _yours _Karina. Do you think that you live with regrets right _now_? That will be _nothing_, compared to how running away from him would leave you."

"Jenna, I can't do this anymore. Please just go, let me deal with it my way."

The girl rose and headed for the door, casting her a backward glance when she reached the hallway. "You can fool a lot of people Karina, but at the end of the day, you can't fool _yourself_. Before you make any rash decisions about leaving New York...promise me that you'll think about it long and hard. I dare you to _try_ and banish the thought of Raphael from your mind. And then picture trying to live out the rest of your life, always wondering what it _could_ have been like, if you'd only been a little bit bolder."

With those words, Jenna turned and left, as Karina rolled over to face the wall.

* * *

The brothers had carefully given Raphael the information he asked for, with the exception of Karina's existence. It wasn't only for the fact that the woman had begged for time, but also because none of them had wrapped their brains around how to tell him about her yet. Raphael had listened in stoic silence to their description of the day he'd tried to escape entirely, and the events that led up to them being forced to physically restrain him.

Afterward he'd retreated to the Lounge, clearly wanting to be left alone for awhile. Michelangelo found him still there after about an hour had passed, half-heartedly strumming his acoustic. Raphael only glanced up briefly when his brother entered the room, sighing quietly to himself.

"Mikey, I'm sorry. I just really don't wanna do this right now. I don't even know what to _say_ to you."

The orange-banded turtle wasn't going to be dissuaded that easily. His older brothers had thought that it would be better to give him some time to himself - well, he didn't agree with them.

"I'm not leaving Raph, not _now_. I know you'd rather I _did_, but I've left you alone for _weeks_ already. That was the hardest part about all this. You pushing us away from you, not wanting to talk about anything. You didn't know any better then, but you can't say that now. It might be easier for_ you _to be alone with how you're feeling, but I don't think I can take another second of it. I've _missed_ you bro."

Raphael rested his guitar against the stand, as tears filled his amber eyes. "This is so messed up. I went to _bed_ one night, and I wake up to _this_, almost two months later? It's like some kinda weird alternate reality, a nightmare. How am I supposed to even _look_ at Donnie right now?"

"It wasn't your fault."

"The _heck_ it wasn't."

"Raph, you've_ seen _him. He's fine, he'll end up better than ever, what with the new stuff Marc was able to do for him. I _know_ you feel guilty, but avoiding everyone isn't the answer. In fact, it's pretty much the _worst_ possible thing you could do. For weeks we waited, and _hoped _that you'd find your way back. Now that you have, cutting yourself _off _would be like the utmost in cruelty. Don't do it Raph. We couldn't stand it." Michelangelo finished pleadingly.

The desperation in his younger brother's voice only made it harder for Raphael to hold it together anymore. He reached out toward Mike, and his younger brother literally _flew_ into his grasp.

"I'm _sorry_." Raphael gasped over his shoulder. "I'm sorry I _let_ all this happen. I'm sorry I hurt you guys."

"It wasn't your fault Raphy." Mike repeated. "You were just tryin' to save Luke. Any of us woulda done the same thing."

Raphael let go of him an instant later, rubbing his eyes fiercely. "When did I become a _crier_?"

Michelangelo couldn't help laughing at his older brother. "Go easy on yourself bro. You've had a real rough time of it."

Raphael leaned back on his stool again. "I know it's probably a _good_ thing that I don't, but I sure wish I could remember everything. It's like...part of me is still lost somewhere. I don't know if it's just because I'm missing a portion of time, or something _else_. I don't feel like _myself_ here Mike."

"What do you mean Raph?"

"I don't know how else to explain it to you. I'm _here_ physically...but in my mind, it's like I'm almost there, but not _quite_. Has to be the weirdest thing I've ever felt, sure doesn't make any sense." He finished.

Mike's blue eyes stared at him evenly. "Give it some time Raph. Hopefully everything will work itself back out. In the meantime, do you think you can let go of some of this guilt? I know the guys would like it if you'd come back out." Mike suggested to him.

"It's not something I can just get _over_, but I'm not _about_ to hurt anyone worse than I already have. Lead the way Mikey."


	62. Do Over

(Twelve Days Later)

* * *

"I'm_ sorry_ we had to come back down here Heff. I know you had some kind of plans for us and all." Raphael said apologetically to the human, as they approached the front door of the Den.

"Don't worry about it Raph. What did Leonardo _say_ to you?"

"He didn't give me any kind of explanation, he just said that they really needed me down here. It'd _better_ actually be worth my time."

Greg motioned for him to go first after he opened the door. Raphael walked inside, stopping short when he noticed the lack of lighting.

"Guys? _Hello_? What's with the lights? This had better not be somebody's idea of a_ joke_." Raphael said threateningly, but received no response.

Greg came in behind him, and shrugged when Raphael looked at him. "Let's have a look around." He suggesting, pointing for Raphael to keep going.

"_Why _do I get the feeling that you know something about this Heff?"

"What are you looking at _me_ for? I'm not the one who called you."

"But you _did_ insist on coming home with me."

"So_ curiosity _is considered an admission of guilt now?"

Raphael rolled his eyes at the human. "If this is some kinda trick, _you're_ gonna pay the price too Heff, I promise you."

"Would you just _move_ your shell already?" Greg said impatiently to the turtle.

Raphael grumbled something a little darkly, and continued on in the direction of the living area, tensing slightly as if expecting an attack of some kind. He'd only taken about four steps, when several strings of multi-colored lights came on in the room at once.

"What the..." The confused turtle took in the sight of the completely decorated room, shaking his head as his brothers and the others came out of hiding.

Someone hit a couple of the bigger lights, and Raphael came into full view of everyone, obviously scratching his head.

"What did you guys _do_?"

"Well, for all intensive purposes, you never really got to have a Christmas you could _remember_." Donatello volunteered at once. "So this is a do-over."

"You guys did _all_ this for me?" Raphael asked a little incredulously, staring around the room to make certain_ everybody _was actually there. "I don't even_ like _Christmas that much." He cracked.

Everyone laughed at once, and Michelangelo flicked him playfully in the chest. "I guess that means you're not _hungry_ either, huh Raph?"

"Well, I see no reason in letting anything go to _waste_." Raphael smirked, as he swiftly captured his younger brother under one arm.

"If you wanna _eat_, you gotta let me go!" He squealed in return, as he struggled to escape his grasp.

Leonardo threw a firm arm over Raphael's shoulder. "Let _him_ finish up Raph, and you can come grab a seat with _us_."

* * *

No one kept track of how long the meal lasted, or how much food was actually consumed in between laughter. It was a far cry from the strained holidays they'd just finished celebrating a few weeks prior. The relief in the atmosphere was so tangible, that no one seemed unaffected by it. Even Raphael grudgingly accepted the Christmas music, without so much as a complaint over it.

After things were finally either completely eaten or cleared away, no one seemed to be in any hurry to leave. For once the TV stayed silent, as Marcus regaled the group with the story of his proposal to April again.

"I was starting to _wonder _about you Marc." Raphael spoke up with a wide grin. "It doesn't really _do_ to keep a chick waiting that long."

"You_ tell _him Raph." April laughed, nudging him lightly over the shoulder.

A chill traveled down the length of his arm from the familiarity of the contact, the remembrance of one of his now _several _dreams washing over his mind in that instant.

"Raph?" April said questioningly, slightly concerned by the startled look in the turtle's amber eyes. "Are you okay?"

He recovered quickly, casting a sheepish smile her direction. "Yeah, sure, I'm perfect."

* * *

"So you _really _managed to keep your hands to yourself the whole time?" Raphael was teasing Jenna later on after the others had finally left, with only about an hour till dawn.

Jenna was just fixing another cup of coffee for Donatello, and glanced over to give Raphael a mock serious look. "I think I was a perfect angel to you Raph. I sure_ felt _like decking you a couple of times, but I showed mercy. That doesn't give you a free pass to get all _bone-headed _again though. I was only that nice to you because of the brain damage." She finished with a dig.

Raphael laughed, and shook his head at her. "_That_ was all it took? Hey, why are you getting my genius brother _more_ coffee?"

"He's got a dead-line to meet, something that needs to be finished before the morning is out."

"So he pulls an all-nighter with us, and _now_ he's going to work? _That_ sounds healthy."

"He won't be that long, he just needs the caffeine boost to get him through the next couple of hours. How about you Raph? You gonna get some sleep?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks for everything you did."

"This was all your brothers' idea, so make sure you thank _them. _Now get _outta_ the kitchen, I still have to finish some things up."

"Sure you don't need any help?"

"Why don't you just take Donnie his coffee, save me the trip?"

"Sure Jen - I'll catch you later."

Raphael took the still steaming mug to Donatello in the Lab, and then dropped back by the living area, where Leonardo was straightening a couple of things.

"Hey Fearless. Thanks for tonight, I had a great time. Kind of made me feel more_ alive _than I have in awhile."

Leonardo pointed him to the couch. "You wanna sit down for a minute?"

Raphael complied, and his older brother dropped down beside him.

"I know that things have been weird for you." Leonardo started. "But if there's any way that we can help, even like tonight...be sure and speak up Raph. We're in this_ together_, right?"

The red-banded turtle nodded. "Yeah Leo, I hear you."

"Have you um...have you been sleeping okay?" Leo asked a little tentatively.

"Uh huh." Raphael answered, without even giving it a thought.

"It's just...I've heard you moving around a few times. Nothing really loud, but...I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Raphael took a short breath, and let it out slowly. "I've been dreaming a lot." He said, rather non-chalently.

"Nightmares?" Leonardo asked tightly.

"No, nothing like that. It's a lot _weirder_ actually."

"Weirder _how_?"

Raphael rubbed the back of his head a little self-consciously, as if he didn't really want to say anything. "There's this...girl...or woman, I guess. I keep dreaming about her."

"_What_ girl?" Leonardo asked swiftly.

Raphael grinned at him sardonically. "We ain't _exactly_ on a first name basis Leo. I don't know who she is, she kinda reminds me of_ Kat _a little. Freaked me out something fierce when I first saw her."

Leonardo was working very hard to control a tremor. "What happens in these dreams?"

Raphael shrugged. "It's been different every time Fearless. But there have been a few times, when she was so close...shell, I could swear she was actually _there_. And when I wake up..."

"What?" Leonardo asked breathlessly.

"I'm disappointed." Raphael admitted outright. "What do you think it_ means _Leo? I suppose she's a figment of my imagination. Doc _said_ things could still be pretty jumbled up in my mind for awhile."

Raphael looked up at his older brother, surprised by the massive reaction that Leonardo was having trouble containing.

"I, uh...I don't..." Leonardo trailed off uncomfortably, and Raphael saw him glance at his cell-phone sitting on the coffee table.

_Shell, what's up with __him__? How could what I said upset him that much?_

"Leo, is everything _okay_?"

"Yeah, yeah it is Raph. Listen, we've got everything under control down here. You should really still be getting all the rest that you can. Why don't you go on ahead upstairs?"

_Trying to get rid of me Leo? I'm __gonna__ figure out what's going on with you, one way or another._

It didn't seem like arguing would get him anywhere quickly, so Raphael simply went upstairs, and around the corner in the direction of his room. But once he was out of sight of the banister, he slid flat against the wall, and hesitated out in the hallway. He strained to listen for Leonardo, as his brother made a rapid phone call downstairs.

The first few words weren't completely discernable, until Leonardo suddenly got very emphatic with someone.

"Karina, it's been two _weeks_! I _know _what I told you, but I can't do this anymore! You've_ got _to get your tail down here, and explain things to him. I'm giving you twenty-four hours, or I'm just going to tell him _myself! _No more time, no more excuses. He _deserves_ to hear the truth, and if you won't tell him, then _I _will!...Fine, that's fine...Yes, I'll _try_ to prepare him a little. Okay. I'll see you later then."


	63. Real

***The song from this chapter is Chris Daughtry's "What I Want". I've always considered it to be a good theme song for Raph, and the "slightly angry rocker" vibe seems to fit him really well. Not for the completely faint of heart - it does feature Slash after all. ; )**

* * *

Leonardo let out a shaky breath as he hung up the phone, and glanced over at the staircase.

_Just get it over with Leo._

The blue-banded turtle climbed the staircase slowly, as if he were going to face the firing squad. Upstairs he nearly walked directly into Raphael, who was making _no_ attempt to hide now.

"What's goin'_ on _Fearless?" He demanded.

"Raph, we've gotta talk."

"Yeah, it _sounds _like it. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know you were talking about_ me _down there. Who the _shell_ is Karina?"

"Come with me, and I'll try to explain a little."

"Why don't you try explaining _a lot _for a change?"

Leonardo pointed him in the direction of his bedroom. "Why don't you sit down Raph?"

"I think I'm good standing."

"Please Raph? It's a long story."

The turtle sat down with a scowl, crossing his arms in front of his plastron. "What have all of you been hiding from me? I don't see how it could be any worse than what I did to Donnie and Marc."

"It's not so much anything _bad,_ as it is _complicated_." Leonardo told him. "The woman you've dreamed about, you said she reminds you of Kat? She has dark hair, longer than hers? Green eyes, a dancer's form?"

Raphael's brow furrowed instantly. "How'd you know about the _dancing_?"

"It's simple Raph. She's _not_ a figment, she's a real person." Leonardo answered, and then waited a few seconds for it to sink in. "Do you have any recollection of Luke mentioning that his sister-in-law was coming to town?"

Raphael thought for a few moments. "Yeah. It came up the night of the OSU game, didn't it?"

"Karina is Katherine's _sister_ Raph. She arrived in the city, the morning after you were kidnapped. Luke was supposed to be picking her up at the airport, but as you now know, he was unavoidably _detained_. Remember we told you that we came out searching for _both_ of you, when you didn't come home?"

Raphael nodded for him to continue.

"Karina caught a cab from JFK, and showed up at the house in Chelsea, before we'd had a chance to leave. She and Mike had a rather_ interesting _meeting."

"So we have another _member_ here, or what? Why couldn't you just tell me about her?"

"Hear me out Raph. We took Luke underground with us for safe-keeping, and when Katherine returned to New York the next day, she brought Karina down _with _her. She was here with us the whole time we were searching for you, up _until_ the day before you got your memory back."

"Then I knew her too." Raphael said to himself. "But _none_ of that explains why you hid her from me."

"She was distraught by the fact that you wouldn't be able to remember who she was." Leonardo said slowly. "She asked for time, begged us not to mention her to you. Truthfully...none of us were sure _how_ to go about telling you, without her being here."

"Why does it matter so much? Why the secrecy Fearless?"

"The two of you got _close_ Raph." Leo informed him. "It was easier for you to talk to her, than anybody else. She said you told her...it was because you didn't know her, before you lost everything. She didn't have anything to compare you to. Bro, you_ told _her things about Stolle, about that whole experience that nobody else knows.

I'm _sorry_ that I let it go for so many days, that I didn't push for this sooner. Truth is, I was afraid of spooking her _entirely_, if I threatened too hard. I'm sorry we didn't tell you everything."

The turtle's amber eyes were trained downward for a very long moment. "I _ought _be furious, but...with everything I put _you_ guys through, it's sort of hard to be." Raphael finally said, and then glanced up to meet his brother's dark eyes. "She _asked _you not to tell me about her?"

"She thought you needed time to recover, though I can't say that's really the only reason Raph. I've asked her to come back and tell you the truth, and she agreed. She'll be down later this evening. I hope you'll talk to her Raph."

"I don't see what it would_ hurt_." Raphael said evenly, though he was actually reeling on the inside.

_Shell, she's real. I don't believe she actually __exists__. Something tells me I musta had a thing for her. This could end up being humiliating, but if she knows what happened to me...I think it's probably worth it._

* * *

Raphael and Leonardo parted not long after, to get some sleep in their separate quarters. None of the turtles remotely roused again until around mid-afternoon.

Raphael could hardly sit still, as he just tried to get some food down. His stomach had been tied up in knots of nervousness for hours, and his stress level didn't escape Donatello.

"It's gonna be okay Raph." He said quietly.

"Easy for _you_ to say. You're not the one who's been dreaming about a stranger."

"It might help you to unwind a bit Raph, at least take some of the edge off."

"Whatcha got in your head genius?"

"It's been awhile since we played together." He smiled impishly in return. "And there _was_ that cover we'd been working on."

"You mean the song you _didn't_ wanna do for Christmas Donnie?"

"You have to admit it didn't fit the mood. But right now, I'd rather hear it than anything else."

"Have you been practicing _your_ part? I know you're in love with the keyboard and all, but it really _needs_ the two guitars."

"I've _been_ working on it. Why don't I grab the other guys, and maybe we can fool around with it?"

"Ain't like we got anything better to do."

* * *

Luke had been knocking for approximately five minutes, when he decided to simply let _himself_ and the girls in.

"Where_ is _everybody?" Katherine remarked, one hand still resting on Karina's arm.

"We_ are _early hon." Luke told her. "I don't know why they wouldn't answer their phones though, unless..."

He cut off suddenly, as he trotted part of the way down the hall. "Yup. Things are getting back to normal down here."

"What's _normal_?" Karina asked him.

"They're in the Lounge." Luke replied. "It's got darn good sound-proofing, you won't hear much from out here._ Inside_, you'd be lucky to hear a bus crash."

The three humans headed for the music room, Karina hanging back ever so slightly as Luke opened the door. He and Katherine went inside, as she lingered just outside the door that was partially ajar.

_"It always seemed like I was sorry for the things that I did_

_But never did a thing about 'til I let you in_

_It's kinda funny 'bout the time that I was falling apart_

_You came and put me back together, now_

_***_

_'Cause what I want, and what I need_

_Has now become the same thing you've been offering_

_As days go by I finally become what you want me to be."_

Karina's mouth actually hung up open a little, as she watched the red-banded turtle lead the song. She stared at him long and hard, searching for _some_ spark of recognition of the guy she'd known for the last few weeks. The confidant swagger was more pronounced than she'd ever seen it before. Something in the smirk he directed towards Donatello as an outright challenge between the dueling guitars was absolutely striking.

_It __is__ him._

Karina caught herself laughing in spite of herself, coloring slightly at how watching him perform that way made her feel.

The turtles only did a short version of the song, cutting it off only moments later so they could greet the humans properly.

"What happened to _six_?" Leonardo called, as he set the bass down.

"We were _bored." _Luke replied. "We figured you wouldn't mind, but then we couldn't get anyone to answer the phone..."

"We've been _workin_'." Michelangelo spoke up, twirling a stick expertly in one hand.

"You guys sound great." Katherine told them. "It's sure nice to hear from you again Raph."

"I _know_." The turtle grinned. "They're _nothing_ without me."

Donatello unhooked his guitar, too distracted by looking for Karina to really respond to the jab.

Luke caught the glance, and nodded his head. "She's here Donnie."

"Well then." Michelangelo swiftly rose. "I think I'll start rustling up some grub."

"Yeah Mikey, I'll go with you." Donatello volunteered instantly, and Luke and Katherine followed both of them out of the room.

Leonardo remained for a moment longer, waiting for the woman to show herself. Feeling a little overwhelmed by nerves, Raphael turned physically away from the door, focusing very hard on a bottled water.

"Raph," Leonardo said pointedly to draw him back. "This is Karina."

The red-banded turtle turned slowly to face the woman for the first time. Even though he was mentally prepared for it, he _wasn't_ ready for the surge of emotion that seeing her in the flesh produced. The bottle in his grasp hit the floor before he could stop it, and Leonardo quickly scooped it up.

"I uh...I'll just let you two...yeah." Leonardo stammered, and backed out of the room.

"Hi Raph." The woman said rather meekly, seeming hesitant to move right away.

Raphael was rooted to his own spot, literally feeling like he'd just entered inside of one of his own dreams. He _wanted_ to speak, but no words immediately came to him.

"Do you remember me at _all_?" The bronze haired goddess addressed him again,

After what was a rather dramatic pause, he shook his head.

"No. But I've _dreamed_ about you at least a dozen times, and I'd sure like to know _why_."

As she took a couple of steps in his direction, he thought that he saw her tremble. "I guess...a part of you_ does _remember me. Or is _trying_ to anyway."

He couldn't think of anything to say in response, indeed at that particular moment, he couldn't even tear away from her gaze.

"I owe you an apology, a large one. I was upset when I found out that you wouldn't know me. And then I was _afraid_, that nothing would be the same as it was before. I wasn't sure if..." She didn't finish the statement, but then swallowed as if to summon her own courage. "God_ knows _I don't deserve you anyway. I'm so screwed up myself, still so much of a coward."

The turtle cocked his head at the woman. "What are you trying to _say_ here? I sort of assumed that I _had_ to have had a crush on you or something, but are you telling me you had feelings for me too?"

"_Have _feelings." She corrected him. "I _have _feelings for you Raphael."

"So you thought, now I'm back...I wouldn't want you?"

"I couldn't be sure. I didn't want to _confuse _you either, but I suppose all that is out the window now."

"I've _been_ confused Karina. Now I'm just looking for the truth. Did something _happen_ with us?"

She bit her lip as tears appeared in her green eyes. "Yes. It did. It was...the most powerful thing I've ever been apart of. And then it was gone. But even though it _breaks_ my heart, I'm so glad you found yourself again."

Karina looked away from him, as tears freely fell.

"Are you saying that right here, this very second, you'd still wanna be with me?" He asked her.

She nodded without looking at him, and the turtle exhaled deeply.

"Wow, this is...I guess it explains _a lot_. I'm not really sure what to do. I mean, we're kinda starting from _scratch_ here, as far as I'm concerned anyway. That doesn't bother you?"

"I thought that it would." She answered. "But standing here now...honestly, I rather start _over_ with you, than not be around you at all."

Raphael shook his head in amazement, still rooted to the same spot he'd started in, as the woman drew closer to him. The green eyes were imploring, as they'd been so many times in his visions of her, and he caught himself shaking as she weaved both arms around his neck.

"Do you mind if I try something?" She asked him.

Words escaped him, for what felt like the fiftieth time, so he only ended up shaking his head for her. Without further warning, the woman kissed him lightly on the lips, and then pulled back slightly to gaze into his widened amber eyes.

"It's too soon, isn't it?" She asked. "I'm sorry."

As she let go of his neck, he suddenly reached after her, catching her wrist in a gentle grip.

"_Wait_. Can you...try that again?" He asked softly.

Karina pressed close to his chest, meeting him a second time in what was a deeper kiss than the last.

She was startled to feel the turtle_ lurch _beneath her, and instantly shot out both arms to steady him.

"_Holy_ shell." He said breathlessly. "This is _real_, isn't it?"


	64. Open

(Three Days Later)

"You know, I can't help feeling like we're doing things _backward_ here." Raphael said with a wry smile, and Karina immediately backed away from him on the couch.

"Sorry. When the barriers are broken, it's hard to hole up behind them again." She told him, but his smile never budged.

"I wasn't_ complaining _sweetheart, just stating the obvious. C'mon back here."

She resumed her position on the couch, nestling further against his plastron than before. There was a movie on the TV in front of them, but neither of them had actually been watching very much of it. Karina pretended not to notice his amber gaze for a few seconds, but then turned slightly to meet it.

"What are you thinking?" She asked him, and he shook his head at her.

"This feels so surreal, like I'm gonna blink and you won't be here anymore. I've never felt _anything_ like this in my entire life."

He reached out a tentative hand to graze the flash of silver that came from her pendant, and found himself staring curiously at the abstract design.

"Are those horns?" He asked her.

"That's right, it's a bull." She confirmed. "You gave it to me."

"What _is_ it with you and these bulls?" The turtle asked sardonically. "You had one of 'em chasing me down in a _dream_ too."

She laughed lightly. "I could_ show _you easier than I can tell you, but I'm not sure that you're ready for that."

He loved that sound, and the way her bronze hair fell across her face when she tossed her head. Raphael impulsively smoothed it back away from her eyes, feeling what was an almost irresistible urge to kiss her again. They hadn't met that way since the "first" time that he'd seen her, but she was so close to him right now, that it really wouldn't be very much of a leap.

_Stop __thinking__ about it moron_, he chided himself, and initiated the contact himself.

The woman kissed him back happily, clearly relieved that he'd made the move.

"Were you just waiting on _me_?" He had to ask.

"I don't want to do anything that you're not ready for. I told you that we didn't have to go that fast." She reminded him, but remained within inches of the eyes of fire.

"I don't know if I can help myself." He murmured. "But I need to get to_ know _you too. That'd be nice, wouldn't it?"

"Same goes for _me_." She told him. "I did hear a lot about the time you spent with Stolle, and the subsequent frustrations. But I feel like I know next to _nothing_ about your past, besides what your brothers have told me."

Raphael sighed deeply. "_Eventually_, I'm probably going to ask you to _tell_ me about some of the stuff that I shared with you. The guys think I'm better off not knowing...but I'm not sure that I can live like that."

Her green eyes left him for a fraction of an instant. "It's _your _past, so I'm not going to hold it back from you. But from what you _did_ tell me...I think I would tend to agree with them."

"How did _we_ happen Karina?" Raphael asked, seemingly out of the blue, causing her to laugh again.

"Oh Raph...I don't even know how to answer that. It just _did_. A couple of weeks ago, I would have told you that it probably developed because of the time that we shared together. But I have a feeling in the back of my mind _now_, that it would have progressed that direction whether you'd been traumatized or not."

"Is it disappointing at all?" He asked with some difficulty. "What I mean is...did you like me better _before_? That's kind of hard to imagine, I admit."

She shook her head emphatically. "It's still _you_. Your brothers told me that it was you all along, just a rather _complicated_ version of yourself."

He hesitated for a beat. "I'm really glad that you decided to stay down here. I know it's kind of a weird situation..."

"I'd already _been_ living down here Raph. Those weeks that I spent on the surface were more uncomfortable than _anything_ I've felt in the last couple of days."

"Do you think you _would_ have come back, if Leo hadn't given you that ultimatum?"

"It probably would have taken me longer, but I couldn't actually _bring_ myself to let go of you." She said softly. "I was such an idiot, I don't even know why you were willing to give me a chance that quickly."

"It was pretty hard to argue with myself at that point." He said a little sarcastically.

"I'm_ really _sorry that I left you that way." She whispered sadly.

"Hey. No more water works, okay? I'm not great at dealing with a whole bunch of different emotions at once. It's a whole lot easier to just focus on one at a time."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I see. And which emotion would you prefer that I tap right now?"

"The one where you're_ totally _into me is pretty intriguing."

Karina slugged him in the arm. "I've got news for you turtle - you've been pretty into _me _before too."

"I ain't _doubting_ that sweetheart." He said with a half grin.

"Has there ever been anyone else for you?" She asked.

"Anyone else_ what_?"

"You know, another girl?"

Raphael snorted openly. "We don't really bring a lot of girls home with us Kari. Actually, Jen's the only one that ever made the instant leap, other than April that is. But she doesn't really count on this matter."

"Because no one had feelings for her?"

The red banded turtle nodded. "It was really something though, to watch what happened between Donnie and Jenna. He was a _real_ pain about it in the beginning, I gotta tell you. He really put that girl through the wringer, before he ever settled down to it."

"And _now _they're married."

"Yeah, and it only_ took _the genius seven years." Raphael mused. "But then, he was just a kid when they met, and I can completely understand where he was coming from. It's an intimidating thought, asking someone to give up the _world_ for you."

"What's the point in _having_ the whole world, if you're not happy inside of it?" Karina asked him.

"Yeah, exactly." He told her. "Don got it eventually, even though it _did _take almost losing her to that attack on the UN, for it to get through to him. It's hard to believe he was so close to _ending_ everything."

"And now they're so happy." Karina said. "I've never seen anything like it. But I think I've actually been pretty jaded on the whole subject of 'love' for awhile anyway."

"Yeah? Why's that?" He asked in return.

"There was someone else, a guy I was with for a pretty long time. We'd often trained and taught together, even dreamed about going pro at one point. It felt like we got so close to taking the big step. But when my Mom got sick, he got _distant. _I tried pursuing him, even with everything that was going on. It took me awhile to figure out what was_ really _going on.

He wasn't ready to be that serious, and when my Mom took a turn for the worst, it was all the more excuse that he needed. He'd already had someone on the side for months anyway, I was just too _blind_ to see it."

Karina hesitated, and then plunged ahead again. "There aren't very many things that I hate _more_ in this world, than being deceived. I would rather someone be up front and real with me, than pretend to be something that they're_ not_. I have this nature that _wants_ to believe the best about people, until they prove me wrong. I guess I really set myself up for disappointment sometimes."

"He _sounds_ like an idiot. I hope you're not wasting anymore tears on him." Raphael said.

"Not, not for a long time. But I sure haven't _done_ much since then either." Karina replied, and then looked as if she wanted to say something else. "_Truthfully_, I think that was one of the things that I liked about _you_ so much from the start. You just _are_ who you are. There's no bull, no mistaking where you stand. Like it or not, this is what you get."

"So you're saying that my being a total jerk was an _attractive _quality?"

"After a fashion." She said glibly. "It _did_ get a little old."

"I have to _warn_ you that I've got a pretty hard head Karina. Change doesn't come quickly with me."

"I don't actually _want_ you to change." She said swiftly. "Just keep being who you _are_. That's what makes it easier for _me _to come out too."


	65. Shock

(One Week Later)

"I can't _believe _Doc's making me sit out a couple more weeks." Raphael said grumpily. "It's absurd. I'm _fine_ - that accident was months ago."

"Yeah, and the _amnesia_ lasted almost that entire time." Leo remarked dryly. "He just doesn't want anything else getting near your _head_ for awhile. To be perfectly frank, I _agree_ with him. That was_ really _heavy Raph."

The red-banded turtle shrugged. "I gotta get on with my life _sometime_. I'm sure not gonna stay holed up down here, while _you_ guys have all the fun."

"Hasn't been the same without you bro." Leonardo flashed him a grin, as he lightly fingered the hilts of the katanas he'd only just finished practicing with.

"I _like_ the new blades Leo. They suit you."

"Typical Donnie move. I only needed to replace the _one_, but he insisted that they had to match. There's no arguing with him sometimes."

"You _did_ end up saving his shell, huh? The thought of that creep hurtin' him...makes me wish I coulda got a hand on him even _more_. Nice to know you took care of business though."

"There wasn't much time Raph, it was really the environment that finished _that_ work." Leonardo said dismissively, and then intentionally changed the subject. "You and Kari seem to be getting along well."

Raphael ducked his head for a moment. "Yeah, she..._she's _something else Leo. Gets under my skin, without even trying to it seems. I still feel kinda bad that I can't remember anything from_ before_. She's got all these memories of 'firsts', that I don't know nothing about. That, and I bet she's getting pretty tired of repeating junk that she already _told_ me."

"Raph, I don't think you should worry too much about what you _can't _recall. You're better off focusing here, in the moment. She came back because she _wants_ this - no one forced her too."

"Do you have any idea how weird it is to have these kinds of feelings for somebody I barely _know_?"

"I can't imagine Raph - but I'm real glad that you decided to make a go of it. I've seen the two of you together, and I think she's just what you need."

"I never used to think I _needed _anybody, you know, other than _you_ guys. Of course there were times that I wondered what it might be like, to have somebody the way Donnie does. But I never thought about it in the terms that it could really_ happen_.

Now she's only been around a few days, and I feel like she's _changed_ something in me already. It's sort of blowing my mind." He said partially to himself, smiling just a little. "She was kinda timid at first, but_ that _sure didn't last. The way she came after me the other day, I thought she was really ticked. But two minutes later, she was laughing again."

"Karina won't take your_ lip _Raph." Leonardo chuckled. "She never _did_. She thought _we _were too easy on you, especially in the beginning."

"Too easy_ how _Fearless?"

"Nobody was challenging anything that you said or did. It was pretty much _anything_ goes at that point. You were ignoring the Docs, but giving Donnie a really rough time. Whenever they left the room, you'd _pounce_ to try to get a reaction out of him."

Raphael winced. "Do I _dare_ ask you to go on?"

"Then you made the mistake of doing it in front of _Karina_, and she wouldn't listen to it. I believe she told you to quit, and when you kicked it up another notch, the story goes that you got _slapped_."

Raphael made a sound that was almost a laugh. "She stood up for Donnie to me? Karina _is_ a live one, isn't she?"

"I'm not sure anyone else could handle your particularly unique personality."

"What are you tryin' to say Fearless?" Raphael mock challenged. "That I'm _difficult_?"

"You make life interesting bro." Leonardo grinned.

* * *

When the two came out of the practice room, Jenna and Karina were laughing like two life-long friends in the living area.

"Ladies." Leonardo greeted them with a somewhat solemn nod, before shooting them a real smile.

"Boy, you're just thrilled to have another _female _down here, aren't you Jen?" Raphael teased the woman.

"God knows there's enough testosterone to go around." Jenna replied, as she got to her feet. "But all good things must sometimes wait."

"You really have to go _already_?" Karina asked her.

"My Mom's waiting for me." Jenna said a little sheepishly. "That stupid event is tonight, and we still need to get _ready_ for it. I don't even have a clue what they're _putting_ me in this time. But I can't stand to let her to these things alone, so it's off to the torture chamber again."

"You're so _dramatic_." Raphael snickered.

"If_ William _is there, he might actually get decked this time." Jenna said darkly. "Even the ring on my hand wasn't enough to send him packing at the last Ball."

"He doesn't _get _that you're not interested?" Karina said curiously. "It doesn't _seem_ like you have a problem expressing yourself Jen."

"This has been going on for _years_ Kari. The idiot _still_ won't even get my name right. If I have to hear him call me 'Jenny' one more time, they might need to drag me out of there in handcuffs."

"I doubt he's _worth_ all that Jenna." Leonardo tried to say seriously.

"You have no idea Leo. Anyway...I have to go. I'm going to find my husband to tell him I'm leaving, and I'll see all of_ you _later."

As Jenna left, Leonardo moved in the direction of the stairs. "I'm gonna get cleaned up a bit. _I'll _see you guys later too." He announced, and headed for the second floor.

Karina met Raphael's gaze with a slightly flirtatious smile, now rising off the couch to meet him.

"Get a good work-out in?" She asked.

"Decent enough. Still craving a_ real _piece of action though."

"It won't be that much longer, will it?"

"No, it just sorta _feels _like it." He replied sardonically, tugging on her sweater sleeve. "Are you ready for _tomorrow_?"

She nodded. "I'm excited, can't wait to start teaching my own choreography. I could barely _sleep_ last night."

He cracked a smile at that. "Good for you. I wish I could see the finished product myself."

"It seems to me there have be _lots_ of way a ninja could sneak into a practice session in that hall Raph. I'm sure you've made your way through much trickier spots."

"Is this you _asking_ me to come see it?"

"You catch on quick. I'm gonna hit the kitchen, do you want something to drink?"

"Anything that doesn't involve 'green' or 'tea'."

"That shouldn't be hard."

As the woman walked away toward the next room, the shadow that had been hovering over the railing of the banister could finally make his move.

Karina spun back around when she heard Raphael gasp, as a balloon struck his left shoulder, exploding in a frenzy of water and shaving cream.

The red-banded turtle heard _familiar_ laughter from above him, and the shock was immediately replaced with a very dangerous look.

"_MI-KEY_!"

Karina bit her lip to hold back her own laughter, as she brushed a spot of shaving cream off of his cheek.

"Are you alright?"

"You're gonna have to excuse me for a second, I have to go commit _murder_."

* * *

Luke and Katherine were just heading out the back door of their Brownstone, when Kat's cell-phone went off from inside of her purse. She immediately set it down on the counter, so she could rifle through it for the phone.

_Work?_ She thought briefly, before picking it up. "This is James."

"Agent, this is Director Kelley. I was notified that you'd asked to be updated, on information pertaining to that strange identity case. Something that ties back into Luke's original kidnaping last year?"

"Yes sir. I understand that the _object_ of my concern was killed back in November." Katherine replied.

"I don't want to get you all excited or anything, but you need to know that there was a mistake within the NYPD's Crime Lab James."

"What kind of mistake?"

"They definitely found _traces_ of DNA that matched that 'Stolle' character, but they also made some _incorrect _assumptions. Only finally got a positive identification off of the body they recovered _yesterday_, something off a very old dental record. It was some other guy, last name Kizirnis? Records indicate that he was part of Morello's old circle too."

"So wait a second. Are you telling me they _didn't_ find Stolle?"

"I'm sorry James. None of the other evidence recovered from that building can support whether the man actually made it out or not. I've been going through some reports that were filed, by paramedics from the scene. They treated that one cop, who was it...Long? But there was another victim too, guy was kind of singed, nasty blade wound. They'd patched him up somewhat outside the building, but then they turned their backs, and he was _gone_.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of uncertain news, but I figured that you'd wanna know."

Katherine felt rather numb all of a sudden, and it was all she could do to keep her voice steady. "Yes, I appreciate it sir. Please, if you hear anything else..."

"I'll make sure you're notified James."

As she hung up the phone, Luke ducked back inside of the kitchen. He took one look at her face, and stopped in his tracks.

"Kat, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a _ghost_."

"He's alive Luke." The woman answered with a slight tremble. "Stolle is _alive_."

* * *

***Oh yes dear readers, I actually **_**went**_** there. Just goes to show you that **_**nothing**_** is certain, unless you actually see the nail go into the coffin. That's all for now, but the next story that I eventually post will feature more to do with Stolle, in addition to being my first attempt at something "Mikey-Centric". Should be a real challenge for me - I've always felt like I have the hardest time capturing **_**him **_**out of all of them.**

**We'll also find ourselves outside the confines of New York City again, and inside the heart of the Mid-West. I might be crazy for what I'm trying out, but what can I say? I get an idea, and I can't get it out of my head. Until then, thanks for reading and reviewing. You make all of us this so much more satisfying. See ya.**


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